


The Green Jade's Song

by Pleiadessigns



Series: Best in the World [2]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band), GOT7
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ancient China, F/M, Gen, Leave science at home, Martial Arts, Mystery, Wuxia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:00:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29857062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pleiadessigns/pseuds/Pleiadessigns
Summary: Piao Zhen Rong, ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage.Piao Zhi Rong, followed to protect his second brother.Li Zi Lin, a child that the Piao's brother rescued.Zhao Cai Ying, a mysterious maid to Zhou Zi Yu.Zhou Zi Yu, the Young Mistress of Zhou's manor who is betroth to the Grand Duke.Jin You Jian, the Grand Duke's grandson who came to Zhou's manor as a scholar.Lu She, the best friend of Jin You Jian who got him the job at Zhou's manor.Zhou Jie Qiong, the spoiled Young Mistress of another Zhou family in Zhou's clan.Cui Rong Zai, an imposter with a powerful position in Jianghu.By fate, they met each other.
Series: Best in the World [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2171403
Kudos: 2





	1. The Value of Fleeing

On the day of Jin’s Lantern Festival, the second young master of the house of Piao, Piao Zhen Rong had decided to flee. He found that he was arranged to marry this one particular young-miss from the country of Baimu, named Bai Xiao Yi.

The House of Piao was a very wealthy and famous mercantile family of Liu-Yang. They traded silks and rare artifacts to high-ranked officials through the rest of the lands and was the main provider to the Duke of Liu-Yang’s Household, Lord Liu of Bei-Liu.

The House of Piao have three extraordinary young-masters that exceeded all aspects of life. They were expected to be the heirs to the family business. However, all of them each had different expectation for themselves. The eldest, Piao Bao Rong, the adopted son of the family became a high-ranked official in the main country, Jin. The second oldest, Piao Zhen Rong was a wanderlust, he did not like to be tied down at one place. The youngest, Piao Zhi Rong wished to be in the battlefield, to fight barbarians who daringly invaded his homeland. The youngest two brothers gave the Master and the Madame of the household endless headaches. The Piao parents even went as far as blaming the youngest son of Lord Liu, Liu Qian, for corrupting them. It was well known in Liu-Yang that the two youngest young-masters of the House of Piao often played with the youngest young-master of the House of Liu. They studied together, hunt together and throughout their teen years have been with each other more than with their real family.

When Liu Qian entered the military, Zhi Rong followed suit. He quickly rose to the rank so he could be of used to Liu Qian in the future. When Liu Qian created his own army and created different departments, Zhi Rong was the first member of the Iron Guards. Zhen Rong was more adventurous, reserved and calm, he opted a more quiet way of service. He was Liu Qian’s first member of the Shadow Scholars department.

Shadow Scholars were true to their name. Scholars who worked secretly, investigating here and there. They were scholars of the highest rank in classes. Most of them had that stereotypical’s image that of a scholar, and some looked like beggars off the streets.

Zhen Rong was known as a pretty boy with very neat tidy style; hair was always in a tidy bun with a mane out, clothes were not too grand, but not too subdue, it was always in a shade or a tint of green; since he liked the color green. And instead of any sharped swords, he opted for a white jade flute with a wooden emblem with white threads tassel as a charm. He referred to himself as ‘The Wanderlust Scholar’, always preferred the wandering life rather than staying at one place. It is that habit that greatly annoyed his father, but amused and pleased Liu Qian’s greatly.

He was carefree, almost to the point of when seeing death he could only laugh, then flee. Such as a life of a carefree, wanderlust scholar, and as he said it, “I can fly, why should I stay?” He had a pet horse, a white pet horse named: Heimama ( black horse ). Although he was the second oldest, the Master and Madame had endless worries for him. Mainly due to his oblivious personality, attached with it are the rumors of the town; where he was depict as that one spoiled playboy young-master that liked to visit the brothels every other day. Were these rumors true? Somewhat, he was very witty with words and especially sweet to the girls. He was definitely not spoiled, the one that was most spoiled in the House of Piao was the third young-master, Zhi Rong. Zhen Rong went to the brothels, not to buy love, but to buy information. But the rest of the world did not need to know that truth, reputation to him was nothing but just a mark in society. He cared more for the secrets and rare information that he could get his hands on. Particularly on people he hated and wanted to destroy.

His abrupt leave was an ongoing anticipation of the whole household. They knew they could not hold him down for too long, and so the Madame was hoping to tie him down with a wife. She didn’t expect that, that would be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Then she weeped in the oldest young-master’s study. Counting down the days for her second son to return while wondering where did she go wrong with this child.

Zhen Rong was accompanied by his younger brother, Zhi Rong to go on a short journey. On horsebacks, the two brothers had a little conversation. The younger brother didn’t feel safe to let his older brother roaming around in the forest alone; believing that his older brother was weak and unskilled in martial arts, so he would need utmost protection.

“Ge,” Zhi Rong spoke up, “I still don’t think this is right of you to leave like this. Mother is probably crying to older brother at home. Furthermore, ge, I am very afraid for you. What will happen if you chanced upon the bandits? What will you do? They will rob you and will kill you–“

“My lovely Zhimin,” Zhen Rong called him endearingly, “I wouldn’t mind it if you just shut up for a moment while I think thoroughly if I had forgotten something.” Zhen Rong suggested.

Zhi Rong let out a small gasp, he was ready to nag some more, but Zhen Rong made a swift gesture of his finger to his lips, shushing him up.

“Ge, why can’t I come with you?” Zhi Rong whined, refusing to let this subject slide. He wanted to go on this adventure with his older brother, especially more when he found out that Zhen Rong received a letter from Liu Qian. A request from Liu Qian to his brother to investigate on imperial jade circulating around the country. “Why did young-lord Liu Qian give the task to you and not me?” Zhi Rong asked, still annoyed at that, “I am capable–“

“What is your job? Iron guard!! Iron Guard isn’t suppose to be investigating anything. Can you be elusive like I do? Your post is in the mountain waiting for command to fight. Leave the investigation to your older brother–“

“But ge, don’t you need a protector?” Zhi Rong insisted.

Zhen Rong scoffed at the idea of protection, “I am very capable of protecting myself!”

“All you do is flee!” Zhi Rong uttered annoyingly with eyes rolling to the side.

“I’ll have you know, fleeing is a great tactic in life! I can fly, and have the option to fly, why should I stay?”

Zhi Rong who was a brave, heroic, loyal person, argued, “Fleeing on the battlefield is defection, and it is an act of betrayal–“

“And that’s why your second older brother is not a soldier on the battlefield.”

“GE!”

“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself. Did Liu Qian not tell you to stay put in Bashan? You dare left your post? Isn’t that defection? Betrayal?” Zhen Rong argued, and he was right. Zhi Rong was left speechless. Zhen Rong then ordered his horse to quicken its steps.

Zhi Rong followed right after, “Don’t worry. Young-master is a fair person. He’ll understand when I explain it to him later. Furthermore, I’m not completely leaving Bashan, we’re still in the region! I’ll escort you to the edge on the other side, how about it?” He shouted after.

Zhen Rong chuckled and made his horse quicken its steps before shouting, “If you can catch me, sure!” Heimama sped up and flew by the many trees.

“A challenge?” Zhi Rong shouted excitingly, “This time I will defeat you!” He chased after.

Zhen Rong was the fastest on feet and on horse, which was why he was the most valued Shadow Scholar, and Liu Qian only gave the most important task to him.


	2. Treasures in the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Found some treasures in the forest.

The two brothers stopped to take a short rest and discuss about Zhen Rong’s journey.

“Ge, where exactly are you starting your investigation?” Zhi Rong asked.

Zhen Rong wasn’t so sure where to start. Amidst the news of his arranged marriage he received a letter from Liu Qian informing him about news of imperial jade being circulated around the country and help was greatly needed that he decided to leave. Considering that Zhen Rong was a wanderlust, anywhere would be a great start.

“I’ve been thinking, if I am sent on an investigation with no leads, then this just mean that Liu Qian has given me permission to roam free.” He paused for a moment then decided, “I’ll roam around.”

Zhi Rong clicked his tongue in disapproval. He dreaded for the worst, his older brother rejecting responsibility, “Ge!–“

“Eh?” Zhen Rong knowing this expression too well, hushed him up, “Your older brother is very responsible! If not, I wouldn’t be on this trip, running away from home with little money; sitting on the ground drinking not wine but spring water, chewing on bamboo shoots with my younger brother sitting beside me nagging like mother at home.”

“You wouldn’t have to do all this if you just come clean to mother.” Zhi Rong retorted.

“So she could be worried sick and crying her eyes out, begging me not to go then send in guards to follow me all day?” He scoffed, “That is the last on my list of things to do.”

Zhi Rong crossed his arms and sighed, “No good. I guess I really have to follow you.”

“No you’re not!”

“I will be disloyal and betrayed young-master Liu this once and quietly protect my precious second brother.” Zhi Rong nodded, wanting to see Zhen Rong’s ways of investigation. Furthermore, Zhi Rong wanted to see the beauties from outside of Liu-Yang.

“Didi,” Zhen Rong made Zhi Rong cried out when he pulled and twisted his ears. “Do my words not mean a thing to you?” He clenched his teeth together, “Have I been spoiling you too much that you became disrespectful to your second brother?”

“Ge! I only want to protect you!”

“Don’t need!” Zhen Rong exclaimed.

“But I want!”

“I don’t want you to!”

“Ge!”

Zhen Rong let go when he heard a small voice crying out for help. Zhi Rong too, straightened his back to listen.

“Ge.” Zhi Rong whispered aloud, but Zhen Rong shushed him immediately. The two of them stood quietly listening to the winds passed through, and the cries of a little girl echoed in their ears. Out from a distance came a little girl screaming and running toward them. When the two of them saw that she was tailed by a group of men Zhi Rong decided to intervene after the girl ran to tugged on Zhen Rong’s green robe.

When the group of people couldn’t win against Zhi Rong they ran leaving the little girl behind. Zhi Rong gave chase, determined to capture them incase they would create more trouble for other people.

“Little Lady, what is your name?” Zhen Rong asked while cleaning the dirts off her face with a handkerchief.

“Li Zi Lin!” The little girl replied, “Thank you for helping me.” She then took one look at Zhen Rong and said, “Lu Yu gege.”

“Lu Yu gege?” Zhen Rong questioned with furrowed brows.

The little girl looked at him from top to bottom, he followed her gaze. “You like the color green? And you carry a jade flute! I think it’s best I call you Lu Yu gege.” She explained. The girl apparently had great sense of perception. She could tell who was evil and who was good by face-reading. Through thorough observations, could also tell who was hiding secrets.

Zhen Rong found it amusing that he cracked a smile and asked, “I can tell you my name, if you just ask.”

The little girl waved her hand. “It’s alright, it’s alright. If I know your name, It wouldn’t be good for you. It’s best that I call you Lu Yu gege.” Zi Lin was right. The moment she found out about someone’s real identity that person would not be safe due to the people tailing her. However, Zi Lin never expected that the person in front of her was more than a commoner and that his identity were hidden before he was even born. Luck was always on his side.

“Alright, Zi Lin, where are your parents? Why are you in the forest? And why are those people chasing after you?”

Zi Lin stared hesitantly at Zhen Rong before telling him, “Those people…They took me away from father so father would work for them.” She then tugged his sleeve, “Lu Yu gege, can you help me? I want to find my father.”

It came so sudden that Zhen Rong hesitated, he really shouldn’t stray from his mission, but spontaneous cases do give him joy.

“Lu Yu gege…” Zi Lin called and kept tugging on his sleeve, “Even though we just met. I sense that you’re a nice person with a grand heart that would help people. If you help people, you’ll get tremendous amount of fortune later.” She said with a smile sending Zhen Rong into severe shock, he clutched his heart as he jerked back.

“Woah, this Little Lady sure have words of honey dripping from her mouth!” He praised and Zi Lin kept her bright grin. Her smile was so bright and adorable that Zhen Rong decided to keep her as a little sister, after-all, the Piao family need a young-miss for mother to be preoccupied with.

And not too long after that sweet exchange, Zhi Rong came back, “Ge! Those people…” He eyed Zi Lin and then glanced over to Zhen Rong to give him a signal that this would be a private matter. Furthermore, something gruesome happened that a kid shouldn’t be listening in. Zhen Rong shot up and lend him his ear. Zhi Rong informed in a whisper, “Ge, those people rather kill themselves than letting me catch them.”

Zhen Rong’s eyes turned serious before whispering back, “Then, is there anything particular about them. A symbol or any scents on them that would give away who they were?”

Zhi Rong contemplated before remembering that there was a particularly strong plum scent. Zhen Rong wasn’t satisfied, he wanted to examine the corpses himself. He left Zhi Rong with Zi Lin since it was not a sight for a kid to see.

Zhen Rong was greatly perplexed when he came upon the site. There was nothing there but bamboos shooting up to the sky. Although, upon closer inspection he saw tiny blood stains on the bamboo and the ground. There were a road of blood dots and naturally, he followed.

Zi Lin glanced at Zhi Rong who was distancing himself from her. She could tell that he didn’t like her, he was not approachable as compared to the other older brother. However, she noticed that he looks very dignified and handsome in his armor. She took it that he must’ve been a guard to the other older brother. The other brother in her mind would be either a prince, or a young master.

“Little girl, what are you staring at?” Zhi Rong asked. Zi Lin turned away but her eyes would make its way back to Zhi Rong.

“My name is Zi Lin.” She said, “Li Zi Lin, gege, can I call you Zhi Li?”

Zhi Rong raised his brows, “Little girl, you just met me and you’ve already given me a name upon yourself? Zhi Min, it’s Zhi Min! You can call me that.” Zi Lin thought that the name didn’t much suit him, but when she took another look at him she noticed that he had a princely aura around him. Looking at his eyes squinting, playfully glaring at her, he gave out an aura of a general, a mischievous general. The name Zhi Min somehow fit. Zi Lin smiled and nodded, “Zhi Min gege!”

Zhen Rong went a bit too deep into the forest before stopping at one space to let out a loud sigh, “This is amazing! I, Piao Zhen Rong, is lost.” He looked up to see bamboos covering the sky. With a mischievous smile on his face, he flew up and landed on the tallest shoot. The second young-master of the House of Piao was no meekly scholar, he was well trained in martial arts. He learned it in secrecy, trained by a mysterious old man who once lived at the base of Bashan.

Zhen Rong saw that he wasn’t very far from the edge of the forest, and he noticed there were people moving about underneath when the bamboo rustled. Swiftly he got down and quietly made his way over to the area. He stopped when he saw a group of people resting around the area. _Strange, wasn’t this place full of movements a moment ago?_ He hesitated to barge in, but had to make a move when he saw the bamboo rustled and out came men in black with face covered.

The young mistress of the family by chance opened her drowsy eyes but fainted when she saw a blob of thing flying at her. Zhen Rong was swift to block the knife that flew at her and sent it back to the original’s owner that hit them right in the chest. She regained some consciousness and saw his back. Zhen Rong was planning to fatally injure but not cause any instant death in order to interrogate them later. They quickly retreated, however, leaving one behind but he pulled a small dagger out and killed himself. Zhen Rong clicked his tongue in frustration, he lost his lead once again.

“Ge!” Zhi Rong came with Zi Lin and saw one of the guard lying on the ground in front of Zhen Rong who emits a murderous aura from the sternness of his eyes.

Zhen Rong closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “Didi!” He looked over with a smile. “Older brother can definitely defend himself!”

Zhi Rong gave a small closed lips smile before sighing in relief, “Ge.”

“Hm?” Zhen Rong asked.

“Thank you.” Zhi Rong said with a smile.

“For?” Zhen Rong asked while he helped the young lady up.

Zhi Rong smiled but did not say a word. The moment wasn’t appropriate for him to say it. Zi Lin watched the two and smiled. Zhi Rong understood then that Zhen Rong was the most capable scholar and martial artist in the family. If he so wished, he could very well upstage both his older brother and him, but because older brother became a scholar for Jin country, and he became more known as a great warrior, his second brother was willing to let the two have their titles and became more of a wanderlust.

“Thank you for helping us.” The young lady interrupted the two brothers.

“What is the young miss’s name?” Zhen Rong asked, “And why are you here with all these chests and your guards passed out?”

“Zhou Zi Yu. This young master is?” She asked.

“Uh…Lu Yu.” Zhen Rong answered.

“Since Master Lu helped us already, would it be okay for us to ask you for another favor? Can you escort me back to my family?”

Zhen Rong looked suspiciously to Zhi Rong and Zhi Rong steered his eyes over to the chests. Zhen Rong’s eyes followed and he noticed the ‘Zhou’ family emblem on those chests. He decided that their household would be the first place he would check.

“Miss Zhou, I will gladly escort you back safely.” Zhen Rong said with a smile.

Zhou Zi Yu’s eyes glistened while she gazed upon the most handsome smile that she had ever seen in her fourteen years of life.


	3. From Young Master to Servant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly went from a Young Master to a servant boy, cleaning dishes and latrines.

It had been one month since Zhen Rong became one of the servants at the Zhou’s manor. So far he got nothing regarding the investigation of imperial jade. Nothing fruitful, but only boundless troubles. His first day at the Zhou’s manor and the young mistress got on her knees begging and crying for her father to grant him to her as a husband. “Father, he saved my life!” Zi Yu argued. They met by chance when he rescued her from the bandits in the forest. In appearance, she looked like a spoiled brat who had never known what love was and was purely in this to feed her infatuation, but Zhen Rong sensed there was something deeper underneath. The wife and mistresses in this house however, shook their heads in disapproval of her.

Zhen Rong almost sprinted out of that manor, but the Fifth Concubine begged to have Zi Lin stay with them due to Zi Lin’s familiar aura with her dead daughter that kept him there. Interestingly, both the girls had the same name. Minister Zhou objected the marriage proposal between him and Zi Yu. He loved this young daughter of his dearly, he would let her get away with anything, anything but this marriage. It was improper and such a ridiculous request! He had no idea who this lad was and where he came from. Furthermore, this idea led to no promotion in rank to their family name. Also, it would do nothing to help his young daughter climbing up the rank, out of the title of concubine’s daughter. It was fortunate that the Grand Duke came to their house and asked for her hand in marriage. No way he would let this go, he would be father-in-law to the Grand Duke!

Zhen Rong was not there to seek for marriage vows. He was there on a mission, therefore requested to be a servant boy with the excuse that he had nowhere to go after he got kicked out of his own house for disrespecting the ancestors. As to what was the reason of disrespect, he pleaded to not speak of it. Feeling that it would pleased his young daughter’s fleeting infatuation and repaying this young gentlemen’s aide, Minister Zhou agreed without any hesitation. Days later, Zhen Rong received news of Liu Qian’s disappearance, that created even more headaches for him.

On a beautiful day with small little wind and moderate amount of sunshine. Zhen Rong who became tired of the household chores laid quietly on the balustrade bench underneath the pavilion on the koi pond, deep in thoughts. The people of Zhou’s manor were a bit peculiar. The relationships were even more complicated. Minister Zhou had one legal wife and five other concubines, five! Three sons and seven daughters, one of the daughters died at Zi Lin’s age. Rumors around the manor was that she didn’t die a natural death, but the investigation of death never even occurred. Zi Yu then became youngest daughter, seemingly very spoiled. Zi Yu’s mother was the fourth concubine, was very loved by Minister Zhou. However, Zi Yu and her mother were always at odd with each other, with the fourth concubine always giving in. The maids and servant-boys had their own little cliques and singled out Zi Yu and her maid. The nagging semi-dimwitted maid that Zhen Rong often forgot the name of, “What was it?” he murmured. His arm over his eyes to cover the bright sunshine, “Lin…Ling…cai?”

“Lu Yu!”

_Ah! Think of the devil, and she’ll appear!_

“Lu Yu!” She called again. He heard, and felt her presence hovering over him. “LU–“

“I heard! Linglan!” He said with confidence.

“LING…LAN?” She shouted, “It’s CAI LING!”

“Ah!” He expressed groggily while sitting up.

Honestly speaking, this girl didn’t look so bad. She had her cute aspects. The problem was that, she was the most mysterious person in that manor. She had no history, no last name, no particular relations, just a very loyal maid to Zhou Zi Yu. Her personality was a bit weird, one moment she was sharped, the other she looked naive, could easily be tricked and exploited. On a more personal level of peculiarity, she liked to call out his name, and would tailed him if possible. Or maybe he was too paranoid.

Zhao Cai Ying was born in a small courtyard situated deep in the manor. When she turned three she was then taken and given to the 4th Concubine to train to become a maid to the young mistress that was coming, Zhou Zi Yu. Her mother was to be another concubine of the Minister but due to a mix up of identities that she was spared. However, it was not easy for Cai Ying’s mother because the Minister was a cruel man that wanted all. He barred her in the small courtyard and had her gave birth. His plan was to send the child away and have the mother, but Cai Ying’s mother put a curse on him and threaten that if he ever harm her daughter, his whole family lineage will not pass another generation.

“Hurry up, there are a pile of dishes to be washed in the kitchen. Dinner will start soon, the head chef asked for you to clean them. If you don’t get it done in two hours, you will be punished severely.”

Zhen Rong whined and winced. How could a young-master from the renowned mercantile family of Piao from Liu-Yang, with hundreds of maids and servants waiting on him everyday was then succumbed to washing the dishes?

“Liu Qian, our friendship is going to end after I’m done with this stupid mission of yours!” He clenched his teeth and chanted after every piece was thoroughly washed.

“Liu Qian? Who’s that?” Cai Ying asked while drying the dishes besides him.

“A nobody.” Zhen Rong answered.

“Lu Yu, I think you will be punished tonight for sure!” Cai Ying said with genuine worries.

“Why? I’m doing my job, aren’t I?”

She quietly pointed to the pile of broken dishes. He jerked back and let out a light ‘shit’.

“What do you think your punishment will be?” Cai Ying asked.

Zhen Rong took a deep breath with eyes closed, but he was suppressing his anger as Cai Ying noticed his eyebrows coming together in a cringe. She calmly reached out with her dainty fingers to smooth out the wrinkles from his temples. He was taken aback by the gentle circulation of her fingers that rendered him frozen for a moment. He snapped then asked, “What are you doing?”

She stared at him with the most comfortable pair of eyes he had seen. A moment passed and she immediately pulled back to apologize, “Sorry, you look like you were hurt, so I thought you might be having a headache–when I was young, my father used to rub my temples when I was in pain–Lu Yu don’t worry, whatever your punishment is, I’ll plead with the head housekeeper to be lenient.”

“How generous of you.” Zhen Rong said with a smirk, but he doubt she would get the tone of his words. Zhen Rong refused to trust anyone from this household, there were many things that pointed to an abundance of lies that was buried deep.

Cai Ying smiled in return, “Of course, we’re both Miss Zi Yu’s aides, we ought to be loyal to each other.”

 _How naive._ Zhen Rong thought with a soften expression that revealed a tiny amused smile.


	4. Problematic Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Went to clean up at the brothel, suddenly witness a murder.

Zi Yu did not like to be at home. She snuck out at night and stay out late, exploring the city of Yanli as a pass time. This behavior was considered to be unbefitting of a lady, especially one from a prestigious’s family. Cai Ying got into trouble many times because of her. As Cai Ying kneeled in front of the Madame of the household for mercy, the fifth young-mistress, Zhou Zi Yan suggested to cane her because it was the sixth time of the month that Zi Yu left the manor.

 _You should be the first one to cane for lewd acts under the tree with one of the servant boys._ Cai Ying thought. Zi Yan never liked Cai Ling and was envious of her beauty. How could a maid be prettier than her mistresses? Furthermore, she was a maid, how dare she raised her chin so high?

Cai Ying was ready to take the punishment as usual but Zi Yu’s cousin, Zhou Jie Qiong who came to live as a guest interfered.

“Uncle! I came as a guest only this morning and already by the end of the day I’m seeing some servant being punished? For what reason? Losing her Young-Misstress? Uncle, you must know that it’s Zi Yu who’s at fault, why is her maid being punished? If a mistress wants to go anywhere, who’s going to stop her? If she tells you to stay put, you dare leave?” She shouted at Zi Yan’s face as a demonstration of power. Jie Qiong was more powerful in position because she was the daughter of the legal wife and because her father was of higher rank at court than Minister Zhou, she knew that she had a lot of power against these people.

“Jie Qiong is right.” The Madame agreed, “If the maid is wrong, then so is her mistress, therefore both should be punished.”

Minister Zhou cut in with a sweet tone, “Furen, it’s getting late. Let us just get Yu’er back and then we’ll talk in the morning.”

“My lord, you can’t be spoiling Zi Yu this way, she will continue to do this.”

“Understand, understand, but it is really late. We just want to find her, she’ll be punished in the morning. I promise.” He pleaded with his legal wife and his other concubines. When they stayed silence in agreement, he ordered Cai Ying to go and fetch the young-mistress back.

“I’ll help!” Jie Qiong announced ecstatically rushing after Cai Ying, completely ignoring the shouts of Minister Zhou. Jie Qiong was free-spirited and a troublemaker just the same, or more so than Zi Yu.

––

Zhen Rong was at the outhouse finishing up his punishment for breaking the dishes. He was tasked to clean out all of the latrines. While taking his sweet time in agony he suddenly thought of the easy life at home. “Liu Qian, our friendship is not just over after this, but I’ll give you a good beating for this.”

“Ge,” Zhi Rong called from up on the tree, leisurely resting on the branch while munching sunflower seeds, “You should’ve ask to be a scholar or something, why a servant-boy, of all the job that you can qualify for?”

“Why are you up on that tree and not down here helping your Second Brother?”

“Not my responsibility, I’m just an intruder. Have you ever seen thieves coming into someone house and clean out their outhouses? That’s just dumb.”

Zhen Rong took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his anger, but he ended up wanting to barf, forgotten that he was at the outhouse. “How are you up there eating sunflower seed and not smelling anything?” He asked Zhi Rong.

“I have a stuffed nose all day, can’t smell anything.”

Zhen Rong was defeated, the disgusting scent fogged his brain, he couldn’t find any words to retaliate. All he could think about was to finish his job then dip in the bath and cleanse himself with fragrant flowers and oils.

“Ge, it seems like the sixth Zhou’s mistress is missing.” Zhi Rong informed.

“Don’t mind it, she’ll return by morning. Strangely this has been going on for the past weeks. Her infatuation for me also disappeared–which is a great thing! I can focus on my investigation without her clinging on to me everyday.”

“Hm…Whatever. Ge, after this is done, do you want to go to Yanli’s famous Willow Hall with me? You can take a proper bath there and eat all the delicious meat dishes. Ge, you have been thinning down. Zhou’s manor is really petty on their servants. I’ve noticed the servants themselves aren’t nice to each other either. And us brothers haven’t really spent much time together as of late.”

“Young Master!” Zhen Rong let out a deep breath, “I am a servant. I don’t even have time to rest, when would I have time to spend with you?”

“Which is why I am inviting you to come. You don’t want to bath in the communal bath after a night of cleaning up the latrines, do you? If you’re going to bath, why not do it at a place where all the gorgeous scented ‘flowers and oils’, scrubbing your backs?” Zhi Rong said with eyes closed and a big smile on his lustful face.

“Hm…” Zhen Rong turned around and Zhi Rong was gone. He left as swiftly as he could the moment he saw the housekeeper walking out to the outhouse.

“Lu Yu, are you still not done?”

“Ah, just about to.”

“Can you hurry up? I have to go!”

Zhen Rong subtly smirked. He took his time, whistling a few tunes here and there as he worked through the rest of the outhouses. Zhen Rong peeked and enjoyed the housekeeper’s painful face as he held onto his stomach with one hand, thighs almost attached as one when he dipped down with a groan. Yet, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Aye! Housekeeper Gao, you can’t just barge in when I’m not even done–“

“I’ll take care of it, you just leave me be!” Housekeeper Gao shouted at him as he pushed and let it all out.

“You promise!” Zhen Rong threw everything down with a big grin and jumped over the wall to go meet up with Zhi Rong.

––

In Yanli, there was a big lake that part of the city was built on, known as ‘Lake of Dreams’. Buildings were high and connected to each other with pathways above the lake. It was the mecca of the city, always festive at night time. Due to the buildings and structure of the area there were many wind tunnels that caused the area to be the coldest place in the city.

Zi Yu wanted to know what was it about this place that men would come every night. She would crossdressed into a young man and entered some of the restaurants and brothels just to observe the men mingling with each other and the courtesans there. Zi Yu watched them with rising anger and frustration. A drop of tear fell into her cup of tea.

Her father said he loved her, but then came around and betrothed her to someone for power. She had no idea who, but it was mentioned that she was betrothed to someone very powerful. She could only guess that that person would be someone from the royal family. It could possibly be someone very old that was eyeing her for sometimes and wished to have her as a concubine. For this reason, she thought of acting out and becoming crazy. She knew servants love to gossip, she wanted them to spread the rumors of her madly in love with someone. She wanted the town, city to call her the crazy girl that couldn’t be married off. She wanted them to talk about her terrible background, how she was a bastard child that was adopted by a concubine, not even a concubine’s daughter.

Even if her father spoiled her and gave her leeways with her behaviors, he wronged her and her mother. That, she would never forgive. For how much he spoiled her, he gave double to his other children. She almost lost her life by escorting those chests back from a remote area, all because his legal wife suggested and would threatened with fasting for one whole week if he didn’t agree. Zi Yu slammed her teacup on the table and swept off her tears and called for wine.

Cai Ying was not in a rush, she knew where Zi Yu would be. She wandered the streets to buy some time for her but was stopped by Jie Qiong.

“Aye!” Jie Qiong slapped Cai Ying’s shoulder then laughed, “I surprise you didn’t I?” Jie Qiong laughed joyfully with her arm around Cai Ying’s shoulders. “I came to help, so, where should we go?”

“Miss Jie Qiong, you shouldn’t have. Leave it to me instead.” Cai Ying said with hopes that she would listen.

Jie Qiong waved her hand, “You don’t know where she is do you?” Cai Ying shook her head and Jie Qiong continued with a whisper, “I do.” Cai Ying felt a bit vexed with the current situation. She had enough trouble with her own mistress, now came a more troublesome candidate. Cai Ying had observed the two carefully and concluded that they two were two peas from the same pod. And before Cai Ying could object or do anything, Jie Qiong grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, running toward Yanli’s Lake of Dreams. Cai Ying moaned to herself, she felt trouble coming her way.

Zhen Rong escaped out of the Zhou’s manor to meet up with Zhi Rong at one of the biggest brothel at Lake of Dreams. The two brothers enjoyed a nice bath together at the place’s renowned service, their indoor hot springs. They dismissed all the courtesans. The Mama at the place smiled in suspicion of the two secret relations with each other before bowing and retreating. Women liked to gossips, especially at a brothel, and more so when their voices were so loud that the two brothers overheard.

“So are you going to end this gossip talk?” Zhi Rong asked.

“Why? They’re strangers to us, let them have something to talk about. It’d be better if there are more rumors flying around. People won’t be able to figure us out because they would doubt themselves.” Zhen Rong smirked.

“Ah, a true wise scholar.” Zhi Rong complimented.

“No, this is just security. I am secure with who I am, so I do not care what people say.”

Zhi Rong chuckled in an awkward mocking tone, “Security…Ge…Our mother believes in gossips.”

Zhen Rong heaved and sighed, “Okay, what is it. Your second brother has no time, I want to clean myself thoroughly before I go back.” He said as he rubbed himself harshly, “What was it that you wanted to talk to me about in secret?”

“Dalu sent a message–“ Zhi Rong paused for a moment. He didn’t know what to say, more accurately how to convey this message. Zhi Rong remembered since mother and father already arranged for him to marry someone from Baimu that the message wouldn’t do that much damage, perhaps it’d be one that he’d like better.

“Out with it!” Zhen Rong said through his teeth.

“Grandma, wants you to marry someone from the clan.”

Zhen Rong rolled his eyes, “That’s all?” And he thought something was important. Zhen Rong’s shoulder dropped in defeat. He could not figure out why everyone was occupied with his marriage prospect, “Why don’t they focus on you or older brother? Why is it only me that they scrambled to get me a marriage prospect for?”

Zhi Rong’s lips curved into a smile, “Well, older brother is currently in the court of Jin, working for them. If his identity is found out, that would not be good. Furthermore, I heard that he already has someone in his heart. I am currently a warrior for, you can say an army of Jin. That’d leave you, free.”

Zhen Rong contemplated for a brief moment before sighing heavily. He received a particular message from his grandma before he left home, but he couldn’t tell his younger brother at the moment. He believed that message had to do with everyone scrambling to find him a bride. Yet, he was not ready to accept it. He broke his silence with a smirk before drinking more wine to get himself mentally prepare for that day to come. “Ah that’s right, are there any news regarding Liu Qian?”

Zhi Rong dejectedly shook his head, “Wei Han said that he completely disappeared. They searched everywhere but couldn’t find anything. The people at He Shan Lou refused to speak. They believed that it’s them that hid him away.”

“That is very odd. If he isn’t alive, at least we could find his corpse somewhere. Where was he last seen?” Zhen Rong asked.

“Xiao Tian said it was after the attack of Million Orchids Hall. He disappeared with Miss Ya Rong.”

Zhen Rong smirked, “Stupid. Just let him be.” Zhen Rong greatly misunderstood the situation, but at this point nobody knew what went wrong and what happened to Liu Qian after that three days ordeal. “Best in the World…” Zhen Rong murmured while scrubbing himself, “Three Days Emperor, that sounds interesting.” Zhen Rong wanted to join the competition, if only he knew about it beforehand he would definitely join.

Zhi Rong did notice some differences in his second brother since a few months ago. He had always been cautious despite being free-spirited and carefree. However, he started to change bit by bit, he became even more cautious with his actions, less free-spirited. Something happened that made him ran away, it was not the arranged marriage. It was definitely something else, something even more problematic, and he could guess what it was. He gulped and became even more protective of his second brother to make sure he was out of harm ways.

“Ge–“

“Hm?”

Before Zhi Rong expressed his worries, the cries for helps pierced their ears. There were screams outside of their room. Patrons were scrambling to get out. The two brothers quickly put their clothes on and went to check. When they were out in the corridor they saw dead bodies lying about and one particular room was opened with the waiter trembling on the floor.

“He definitely saw something.” Zhi Rong whispered.

Zhen Rong signaled to him to protect the waiter, “Don’t let him get too entranced and took his own life, I will go check out the vicinity.”

A round table with three dead men. Wine and food were laid out on the table, two escorts were dead in their arms. Windows were widely opened. When Zhen Rong went to check their bodies he found court emblems. “They’re Officers of Jin court.” He whispered to Zhi Rong. Both brothers then eyed the waiter, “Hurry and take him away, hand him over to our people to interrogate him. I don’t want Minister Zhou to have him.”

Zhi Rong knocked the waiter out and carried him out the window. Zhen Rong planned to go back to his room, but left the vicinity when he thought it would be better to leave during a chaotic scene than staying to be witness to a murder case.


	5. Dangerously handsome, Docile Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Young Mistresses don't like to stay home, the maid is weird.

The men was eyeing her as she stared out into the distance. They of course noticed his crying, his tears strolling down that smooth pale skin. The men that frequent Lake of Dreams had no boundaries, they don’t hold back and was full of lust. If the prey was presented in front of them, they would pound. 

“Hey there, kid, why don’t you come join me–“ He pulled her by the arm and Zi Yu yelped in shock. Before she could fend herself, small rocks were flicked into the man’s eyes. He bled on the spot and lost his eyesights, his subordinates rushed toward him and accused Zi Yu of hurting him. 

“He came on to me!” Zi Yu fired back, “He deserves it for being disrespectful!” 

“How dare you!” His subordinates charged up for revenge, but Zi Yu dodged in time. However, she was not confident if she could fend herself against so many men. She had secretly learned martial arts, but it was fairly recent.

“This kid put up a good fight for his petite physique! It’s kind of cute. Let me have him!” One of them announced before jumping in to grab Zi Yu, but that resulted in his face being slashed by a mysterious figure dressed in all black with his face covered. 

“Who are you?” Zi Yu asked. He didn’t answer, but he helped her took out all of her barbarian suiters. Zi Yu could tell that he was not that old, but his skills were high level. She had a radical thought while watching him taking out all the men for her. If I’m going to run away, I’m going to have to prepare myself and be good at martial arts. And this person would be perfect for the task. 

When he finished with his rage he cleanly and calmly put his sword back into its sheath. Zi Yu reached out to talk to him, but he returned with a glare. When she caught his piercing gaze she jerked back in fear but then his gaze softened at the sight of her. She thought he was shaming her with those eyes, but could tell that they weren’t evil. Zi Yu wasn’t sure, but she felt the familiarity of those gaze. He didn’t say anything to her so she didn’t know what to say in return. His face twitched under the black cover and Zi Yu smiled softly at him with a nod of gratitude. He knew her, but she didn’t remember him. He was glad that she was all well and grown up. It was a long arduous five years for him, but he was back and would protect her at all cost. 

Zi Yu darted her eyes at the awkwardness of his endless gaze. It got uncomfortable that she glared back at him. While she looked into his eyes, she was wondering which was the best way to coax him to teach her some martial arts. Would graveling at his feet and calling out master works? That didn’t look so nice when she pictured it, looked a bit shameless even, unbefitting of her status. Nevertheless, she needed a great teacher to teach her the skill of escaping. While she was deep in thoughts, he was enamored and didn’t know what to do. The only person who didn’t have time for these two was his friend, Lu She. 

“Come on!” He shouted while swinging in from the opened terrace, “We don’t have all day!” And immediately both mysterious buddy flee the area from the terrace.

Zi Yu stood staring out the opened terrace, “What?” She was still in a trance of the event that just happened. 

One of her barbarian suitors was graveling on the floor like a caterpillar then grabbed her ankle, cackling, screaming out, ‘I GOT HIM!!” 

Zi Yu groaned aloud before stomping his face, then stormed out after putting down three gold taels for the restaurants as compensation. 

Jie Qiong was excited to explore everything at Lake of Dreams, an area that she was banned from. Now she had a great excuse to enter. She was so fascinated with the red-light district that she wandered away from Cai Ying to trail after a mysterious person carrying an unconscious body. It was right after she witnessed patrons from Willow Hall running out from all of its entrances screaming for help that she saw that suspicious person. 

Cai Ying looked around as people running. She groaned and whined. First, she lost her young-mistress, now she lost the cousin of her young-mistress. She was so desperate that she used her secret skills to search for them. She withheld a vast knowledge of martial arts and was able to use them at will, but her father forbade her to use it, especially in front of people. She was only allow a meager of simple moves and techniques to protect her young-mistress. One of the move was related to speed, she could move as fast as a gush of wind. She used it in order to do a quick search of the area for her young mistresses, but could not find them anywhere. Frustrated, she paced back and forth along the pathway to the South’s gate of Lake of Dreams where she came face to face with Zhen Rong. 

“LU YU?” 

Zhen Rong stood frozen and didn’t know what to do but cursed his luck internally. What was this luck, and what was this girl doing here? Was she tailing him? Was he that bad at undercover that a maid could see through him? He thought of jumping into the pond, but there were too many fish down there for his liking. Maybe if he pretend as someone else– too late. 

Cai Ying ran toward him and excitedly exclaimed, “You came to search for young-mistress too?” 

“Huh?” Zhen Rong then remembered something about Zi Yu went missing, “Oh, yes! Yes! I couldn’t find anyone. You?” 

Cai Ying looked down and shook her head, “I don’t think I can go back to the manor tonight.” She murmured and lowered her head even more, then said almost inaudibly, “I might have to stay out for a while, not until I can find the young-mistress.” 

Zhen Rong had to lower himself to take a look at her face and heard what she was saying. He was for sure that she was about to cry due to how shaky her voice was, but he was a little shock to see her eyes changed into something very intense. He didn’t know what came over him, but he cupped her face with his palms and had her looked up to him. She was so shock that her eyes changed back to that of a puppy’s. Zhen Rong gazed with mild curiosity at her, something was off. He could only guess that there was some personality switch going on with her. 

“Well, since I’m already out. I will help.” He said, but he was cursing himself internally. He might be a wanderlust and love to investigate, but there was a time and place. He only wanted to go back home and rest after that whole ordeal. He had to drag his own self into this, was too much of a busybody for his own good. 

Cai Ying smiled then said, “Lu Yu, you’re very handsome!” As a bit of a gratitude for helping her out. Cai Ying had been noticing him since he entered the manor, but because her young-mistress likes him so much that she wouldn’t dare to say anything. It was her first time feeling this way toward a man, and it was her first time that she felt that she could say such things with ease. She knew that there was no reciprocation, but showing this type of interest once in a while wouldn’t hurt. It was just a crush, nothing harmful. 

Zhen Rong did not expect that, he was always the more forwarded one. It made him a bit soft, once in a while being a tad bit nicer and more approachable toward her wouldn’t be so bad. After-all, he needed to figure out everyone in this family, and since she opened herself to him, he should try to play along. “That, I know!” Then he replied, “You’re not so bad either!” while pinching her cheeks. With just that one reply and gesture, he made Cai Ying blushed from cheeks to ears. She looked away before running off. “Wait, something’s wrong?” He asked trailing after. 

“I say, You Jian, you almost scared me to death doing that. What was that all about?” Lu She asked as the two strode back to the Grand Duke’s manor on their horses. 

You Jian was all beaming in pride and bliss. He simply answered, “Just protecting my future bride.” 

Lu She sighed with eyes rolled all the way back, “You have to be that dramatic?” 

“Tsk, she was bullied. And why was she there? It was a good thing I was there.” 

“Attempting to save a maiden is fine, but what’s with the staring competition?”

“I didn’t know how to approach her. Had nothing to say, so I stared. Was hoping she’d say something. Surprisingly she was very docile, I don’t remember her this docile.” He thought that there was something was wrong with his future bride. He concluded that she was probably bullied by the Zhou’s manor. He had to quickly find a way to infiltrate and protect her.


	6. To The Rescue!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Young Mistresses are weird, the maid is cute.

Jie Qiong with her basic set of skills manage to catch up to the suspicious man, but then he swiftly turned a corner and disappeared. She lost his tracks.

“Drat!” She exclaimed with her hands on her waist and her feet tapping. She looked around the area only to find that she was lost in the middle of the forest. She gasped faintly, her eyes wandered. It was dark out, she couldn’t see anything. She tried to calm herself, but her stricken face revealed it all. She slowly backed up. Jie Qiong wanted to turn and run back, but what if she turned and then someone came from behind and grab her? She would have to walk backward! “What if I bump into things?” She murmured to herself. “Whatever, if evil were to target me, they would do it whether I turn and run or walk backward.” She said but stayed frozen.

Zhi Rong was very skilled, he knew that someone was following him. He couldn’t turn back and look at who it was, but he knew this person’s skills was not on par with his. Unexpectedly the person managed to catch up to him, even though he had quickened his steps to test out their skills. He couldn’t afford anymore time to play with the person so he turned and flew above the trees and left as quickly as he could.

Jie Qiong squatted down and leaned back on a big tree. She cringed and a small moan came out of her. She wanted to cry and unleash her emotions but if she cried, she would make sound. A small little sound in this dead silence forest would turn into a lion roar, she couldn’t afford that. She looked everywhere around her vicinity then cursed herself for being nosy, for not knowing her own capabilities. She wanted to go back, but the road back looked very dimmed lit, was there even a way out? How did she get in? Jie Qiong groaned and begged the heaven to come and help. She then started to chant to bodhisattva to protect her for the night. Her mind went wild, she looked up to the tree and thought of sleeping up there. If only she knew how to fly!

Zhi Rong don’t take the same route to go anywhere. He would seek out different routes so there would be no pattern left behind. Out of curiosity, this time he went back the same route to seek out the person that followed him. If his suspicion was right, then that person would still be around roaming the forest to search for him.

Jie Qiong heaved with hands on her hips as she glared at the tree. She could not believe that she can’t even climb a tree! This was ridiculous, what kind of a martial art master did she hired that didn’t teach her the tree-climbing skill? Nevertheless, Jie Qiong was not the type to give up. She was determined, and she would will herself to climb that tree, even if it would take all night. Plus, a new challenge would take her mind off the dark forest.

With great confidence, Jie Qiong put her hand to her chest to calm herself. She inhaled and exhaled before opening her eyes with full of determination. “Okay tree! I’m going to make it to the top, just you wait!” And she jumped onto the tree. Her legs and arms hooked around the tree. “Okay, now, how do I climb?” She murmured to herself.

Zhi Rong was quietly observing her from afar, he didn’t know who this person was, but he was sure she was the one that followed him. Watching her confused him even more. She didn’t look like someone with a lot of skills, and definitely one of those spoiled young-mistress from some wealthy household based on the clothes she wore. Also didn’t look so bright, her climbing skills did amuse him for a few minutes.

“AHH!” She screamed when she slipped down. Her perfect dress was tattered and she got scratches on her arms. “Come on! Don’t tell me a girl can’t climb a tree! I don’t believe it!” She shouted to the tree.

Watching her was also very painful. Zhi Rong just couldn’t stand by and watch a girl suffer in this way. He decided to wear his mask and helped her out. Even though doing this would scare her to death, but he figured she would be fine after she got up on the tree. He flew toward her, picked her up and flew up to the top of the tree, left her there on the biggest branch.

Jie Qiong screamed her lungs out believing that it was some ghost; she almost fainted and fall, but she quickly grabbed onto the tree and became frozen. Zhi Rong was at the base chuckling to himself. He quickly left the area, leaving her there up on that tree. She cried and wailed to heaven, “I asked for help, if you wanted to help me couldn’t you just send me home? Should I be clearer the next time I make a wish?” She cried, “Heaven! Bodhisattva!” She then started to chant the buddhist scriptures to lure away evils. Not long after, she fell asleep holding on tight to the big tree branch.

Zhi Rong came back with some food a few hours later to check up on her and saw her sleeping soundly like a koala. She was weeping in her sleep, her face scrunched up. When he saw that she was having a tough time sleeping, he picked her up and carried her down. Left her beneath the tree trunk while he settled on the branch. When dawn came he was the first one to wake. When he saw that she was still sleeping, he made a quick sprint to town to get something to eat, and a few colorful scrap of cloths. He tied them to the trees to highlight the road back and left her a mantou before leaving.

–––

Despite finding Zi Yu, Cai Ying was still punished for losing Jie Qiong. It was early in the morning but the Madame had Cai Ying kneeling out in the courtyard. She called out the rest of the servants and other members in the family to watch. The Madame believed that it would serve a lesson for everyone. Cai Ying knew what was going on, the Madame wanted to humiliate her. She had been noticing odd glares from the Madame since she started to grow and puberty hit. Just kneeling alone was fine with Cai Ying, but she didn’t understand why the Madame would make this into a spectacle. Were the servants not having chores to do? Why were they all out, even the family members were out.

Zi Yu was not happy seeing her maid being punished this way. She believed the Madame chose this tactic because she hated her, have always hated her. That wicked woman, it wasn’t enough for her to steal her best friend’s husband? She now tried to torment the daughter of that best friend, almost everyday. Zi Yu considered Cai Ying like her own sister, albeit she rarely shows it. She had thoughts of being separated from her, and always came to the conclusion that she would be very lonely without her.

Madame wanted to get some anger off her chest. She wanted to punish that arrogant bastard child, at the same time, she didn’t like how this little girl grew up to be so pretty. She didn’t like how she grew up to look so much like her mother whom her husband was so infatuated with. She didn’t like how she often look at her husband with smiles, and she definitely didn’t like it that her husband has been eyeing her with smiles. It wasn’t her that saw it, but also the rest of the concubines and their offsprings. The daughters were also not happy with how Cai Ying turned out, fair and beautiful. The young-masters in the house have their eyes on her, they wanted to make her their concubine.

Minister Zhou woke up to a commotion in the house and came out to see Cai Ying kneeling in the courtyard, the Madame then called for the servants to bring out the staves.

Cai Ying gulped, but she knew it was coming. This ‘naive’ looking girl was very smart to figure out the behaviors of each of her masters and mistresses and what they would do for punishment that she tend to be fully prepared for them. She knew that Madame would go for the staves, second concubine likes to use zanzhi to squeeze the fingers, third concubine would use needles. The staves, she found a way to protect herself from it, but the zanzhi and the needles, she hasn’t found any ways to bypass them. Cai Ying had a hunch that she would be punished so she put on a hand-maid butt-pads in the morning. Although, the butt-pads was a bit thin so she doubt it would protect her buttocks, but maybe her inner energy could be used to block the force from the staves.

Zhen Rong was also there. He was very annoyed at this whole spectacle. He couldn’t recall if there ever was a time where a servant would be humiliated this way at his household. Whatever troubles that came about were usually caused by the young-masters, the source would be punished, not the non related party just because they were easier to take advantage of. That was what he was taught growing up. He winced when the Madame called for the staves. That was too brutal. She was a girl, and to do it in front of everyone in the house. His anger rises when he saw her biting onto her lips and keeping stern eyes and heard her squirmed when those staves hit. If he wasn’t acting as a servant, he would’ve buy her from this household. _Wait!_ Zhen Rong snapped out of his anger for a moment. _What? Buy her? What the hell? It was only one night that you spent with her, and already you wanted to buy her? Piao Zhen Rong, the fumes of the latrines has gotten into your brain!_ But when he heard the loud sound of the staves hitting her and her squirming, he left abruptly.

“WHAT IN THE HELL?” Jie Qiong cursed aloud, shocking the whole house. “What kind of inhumane, evil is going on?” Jie Qiong didn’t take likely to punishment, especially to people that she had a good impression of. She happened to really like Cai Ying as well. Madame gave her a side eye that pissed her off greatly. Jie Qiong then asked, “Madame, I recalled you made an oath to bodhisattva that you’d turn over a new leaf and become a vegetarian, not eating meat, not doing evils for one month so you can have a first grandson, JUST YESTERDAY!”

Madame glared over at Jie Qiong only to see her haughty face. She wanted to choke her, but she herself was choking with anger. Minister Zhou immediately halted the punishment. Zi Yu stared at Cai Ying with resentments in her eyes before storming off. She cried as soon as she made it away from the crowd. It hurt so much seeing her maid being punished and humiliated and she couldn’t do anything. She knew one thing only, she would take revenge sooner or later.

In her hurry, Zi Yu accidentally bumped into a man dressed in dark green, “Sorry.” She murmured then went pass him. He turned his head to look at her back rushing away. His eyebrows came together to question if he saw it right, that she was crying?

“Should I tell You Jian about this?” He asked himself, “Why was she crying? No way that You Jian’s paranoia is right, that she is bullied.” Lu She was not so sure anymore, but he noticed that there was a big group of people dispersing. He came to one of the servant to ask and found that a personal maid of their youngest-mistress was punished and humiliated for the young-mistress’s reckless behavior. “Ah! Would that be considered as bullying though? Indirect bullying?” He asked himself again. Lu She came to the Zhou’s manor under You Jian’s instruction, to scout out the situation of the Zhou’s clan then report back to him.

“Young Master Lu!” Minister Zhou exclaimed the moment he saw the dark green robe and the purple jade ornament around his waist. He knew right away it was Lu She from the House of Lu, “For what reason brought you here?”

Lu She thought for a moment. He couldn’t say that Prince Jian of the House of Jin dispatched him to this family to scout for any bullies that made his future bride upset. Lu family don’t much like doing business with the Zhou family either. “Ah, Minister Zhou, I have a friend who is currently looking for work…”

“Eh?”

Lu She smiled, cursing himself on why he lost the game last night. He drank so much then agreed to do this. “Yes, I have a friend, a scholar from the country of Daluzhou that just came to Jin the other day. You see, he came with a lot of books and artifacts, but he didn’t know what to do with them. He came to Jin with a purpose to teach about his culture, but he don’t know where to start, so–“

“Say no more! Young Master Lu, if you don’t mind. My household will hire him.”

_Wow, that was easy! I’m pretty good at this!_

Lu She nodded and said, “Thank you. So I’ll send him over to you?”

“Yes, when is he available? Young Master Lu, I can’t believe you’re this nice to us.”

“Oh, it is just so happen that my family is a bit busy. I won’t be home for my friend to fully take care of him. It is an inadequate thing. Your family has a few young masters and mistresses, I’m sure they’ll learn many things from him.”

Minister Zhou nodded, but his plan was to hire the scholar for Zi Yu. She had been talking about the other world outside of Jin. He had hope that a scholar from Daluzhou would suffice her thirst of traveling. He couldn’t afford to have her wandering around when the wedding is coming up soon. If he could not bring her to Daluzhou, then he would bring Daluzhou to her.

“Minister Zhou, then I’ll send my friend over. I bid you farewell.”

_Well, You Jian-ah, You Jian, you should treat this friend to a huge feast. I just gave you a grand opening! Wow am I a genius!_

___

Cai Ying wasn’t hurt much from the staves. Luckily she had the butt-pads on, and her inner energy helped her created a layer of protection against the friction. But it still hurt somewhat. She rubbed her back, her buttocks and gently sat down on the steps to check on her knees. She forgot about the kneepads!

Zhen Rong was curious when he saw her by herself. _Didn’t it hurt?_ She seemed to sit well and only care about her knees. He strolled over and sat next to her. She jerked in shock. Zhen Rong turned his head slightly to look at her. His mouth moved, his lips opened but stopped halfway when he couldn’t find words to properly ask. How to word this without further embarrassing her? He didn’t think this through before he sat down. Thinking about the situation earlier bring back some fury within him. How could anyone do such a thing to a girl like her? He admit that he himself could be very brutal when it come to punishment, but that depend on the severity of the crime. Losing your young-mistress when they ran from you do not need staves in front of everyone.

“I’m okay.” She murmured.

He turned to her when he heard the seemingly okay voice, but it lacked the energy that was apparent whenever she talks to him. That was fine, he understood the reason.

Cai Ying saw through his frustration and became a bit elated. She told him a secret, completed with a whisper, “I’ll tell you a secret. Next time I can make you one just in case.”

“Hm?” His eyes squinted as he steered to the side to look at her. _Next time I can make you one._ _What does that mean?_

“I have a butt-pads on.” She whispered with a smile.

His mouth dropped. _WHY THE FUCK WAS I WORRY FOR?_


	7. The Scholar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The White Scholar and his Green Snake.

Zi Lin could not believed her luck. _Was it really luck, or coincidence? How long will this last?_ She sighed to herself on the steps outside of her room. She rested her face on her palm and let out another sigh. She recounted the events that happened to her in one month: Running away from her captive, saved by two handsome older brothers and then got adopted to be the young-misstress in a strange household, to a very strange concubine. She was given new clothes to wear and got handed plates of delicious food with maids waiting on her. Zi Lin couldn’t be happy at all. Something was very odd about this household that she didn’t like much. Something was very odd about her adopted mother, if it weren’t for her Lu Yu gege she wouldn’t stay here. From her understanding, and what the Fifth Concubine had told her; She resembled her lost daughter. Her lost daughter had the same name as hers, but died many years ago at the same age as her. Zi Lin shivered when she recalled the information. It didn’t help when she was reminded of Fifth concubine’s strange shadow outside her doors last night.

“Zi Lin~~” Zhi Rong whistled, his head was poking out from the top of the wall of her courtyard.

“Zhi Min-gege!” Zi Lin whispered aloud but quickly held herself back. She stood up then eyed around before running toward the wall. “Zhi Min-gege!” she whined with a pout.

“Zi Lin, what’s wrong?” Zhi Rong asked quietly. He didn’t dare to show much of himself other than his head. “Don’t cry, Zhi Min-gege is here. Zhen–uh–Lu Yu-gege asked me to check up on you sometimes. What’s wrong, anyone bullying you?”

Zi Lin wiped off the little tears that made it to her cheeks and ceased crying immediately. “Zhi Min-gege, people here are a bit odd.” She whispered. Zi Lin moped quietly before taking another look around the area. She was smart and well aware of the situation. She didn’t want anyone to be suspicious of her so she turned around with her back against the wall. “Gege, you need to hide. Fifth concubine is coming to eat lunch with me. Can you still hear me if separated by the wall?”

“Of course I can. I have trained in martial arts for so long, one of the first thing I learned was eavesdropping.” He joked.

Zi Lin giggled but had her own worry, “But I don’t think I can hear your reply. Then I’ll just tell you the odd and you evaluate. We can talk later.”

Zhi Rong chuckled before hiding from sight.

Zi Lin peeked and didn’t see him. Figuring that it was okay to talk now, she told him what she had observed the past few weeks. “This happened about two weeks ago. When one night I was starved by the Madame for not improving in my etiquette classes, so I snuck out. I wanted to go to the kitchen and find some scraps to eat. On my way out, I found Fifth concubine wandering around in the manor’s garden. In an abandoned courtyard, there was a well, I saw her going there and she kneeled and prayed, then weeped. It was very eery, her cries were so loud, it woke up the master and some of the mistresses. The guards came out and drag her away from the well. Then the next morning, she was all fine again. Zhi Min gege, Fifth concubine doesn’t seem to be herself. Just the other day, she–“ Zi Lin stopped when the servant came to fetch her to go have lunch with the Fifth concubine.

“My lady, why are you out there, you’ll catch a cold. Hurry, let’s get you back to Fifth concubine. She misses you a lot and is sulking, waiting for you to come eat with her.” Said the servant.

Zi Lin nodded and announced, “Then we’ll go back to aunty!”

Zhi Rong smirked and flew away as soon as the servant left the area.

––•••––

Cai Ying was tasked to clean the servant rooms and the Abandoned Garden of the manor, the Madame wanted it to be spotless despite it being abandoned for years. The place’s owner was one of Minister Zhou’s nameless concubine. Minister Zhou loved her but his love was not reciprocated, and so he let her stay there to rot.

Cai Ying heard of the story when the maids gossiped. When the maids found out that she was tasked to clean the area, they started to invent haunting stories and relayed it to her in an attempt to scare her off. Cai Ying had a fear of ghost, but she didn’t think there was anything severe at the Abandoned Garden. A few steps into the area and she felt a calmness like no other, coming from somewhere that she couldn’t pinpoint. She became happier when she entered the quarter and saw its high ceilings with dust and cobwebs covering from corners to corners. Her eyes glistened when she thought about the opportunity given. She would use this place as a playground to practice her martial arts. She smiled and with a broom she pranced about the area, somersaulting in the air to clean the dusts and cobwebs.

––•••––

Jin You Jian, an orphaned prince, left to the care of his grandfather, Grand Duke Qin, who was the uncle to the current Emperor of Jin. You Jian’s father was a great general but killed at war at a very young age. Not much longer You Jian’s mother passed away. Grand Duke took pity on him, but kept a distance from him. He never spoiled him in front of others, but quietly supported all of his decisions and guided him on the right path. It was after his parents death that You Jian was taken on an expedition by the Grand Duke in an attempt to cheer him up. The expedition of the two, grandfather and grandson lasted for two weeks and it was horseback riding through the terrains of Jin. The Grand Duke showed him the military camps and the life of a soldier so he would understand what his father went through. He didn’t expect the child to like it so much that he ran away and enlist in the military himself when the Grand Duke rejected his application.

You Jian had a mischievous side to him that not many took notice of. He was very upright and quiet at home, when he speak it was often an add in to someone’s else idea. He had a routine that he kept to. Never a day where he would go without looking up at the stars before sleep. In the deadly quiet night, he would look up to the sky to count the stars for at least one hour. This habit started when he was at military camp one night when he rescued a little boy that wander off from base. When You Jian was away from home and out of his grandfather and uncles’ sights, it’s a different story. His personality matched with Lu She, the well known mischievous young-master of the Lu Clan.

“So, how do I look?” You Jian asked Lu She who was waiting all morning.

“You let me wait here all morning just so you can dress in basic white?” Lu She remarked.

“I’m a scholar, I can’t wear anything else but these basic looking colors. Beside, they’re very comfortable for scholarly robes. I can run and jump.” And he did just as he said. “Alright, shall we go to Zhou’s Manor?”

“After I finish these cakes.” Lu She said, but You Jian couldn’t wait any longer, he took the whole plate of cakes with him in order to lure the _snake_ along. Lu She let out a loud sigh in defeat and followed right along.

––•••––

It was a normal day at Zhou’s manor. Everyone was doing their daily tasks, even Zi Yu was obediently practicing her handwritings instead of running away from home. Zi Yu tried her best, but it was never normal in the eyes of jealous siblings and concubines. They thought that it was very weird that she stayed home instead of running away. Had they gossiped away from her sight, it wouldn’t be a problem, but they chose to loiter around her while whispering and laughing about her, making her losing her focus.

Zi Yu closed her eyes and tried to make peace with herself while Cai Ying fanned away her anger, reminding her to stay calm and focus on writing. But they were too much that Zi Yu slammed the table and shot up. “Hey! Don’t you people have manners? Ever heard of gossiping behind someone’s back would give you bad luck and turn you ugly to the point of no one would want to marry you? If you’re gonna talk shit, why don’t you come here and say it to my face!?”

“Mistress!” Cai Ying pulled her back.

“What? Why can’t we talk here? It’s the open garden, we can be around here and say whatever we want. If you have a problem, why don’t you go back to your place?”

“What a bastard child.” One of them hissed.

Zi Yu gasped in anger. That was unprovoked. Calling her a bastard child was highly offensive and disrespectful to her mother, who never ever wanted to be married into this household and was forced to. But she couldn’t even get a proper wedding until she gave birth. The grandmother wanted to know if it was a son or a daughter before she could let her mother through the gate. Zi Yu stormed up and slapped the girl who called her a bastard child.

“How dare you slap me, you bastard child.” She ground her teeth before raising her hand to retaliate but Cai Ying took the hit instead. That anger Zi Yu even more, it was enough.

“How dare you?” Third concubine came to save her daughter’s face along with Minister Zhou, Lu She and You Jian. They were all witnesses of Zi Yu raising her hand and hitting her older sister. Without questions, Minister Zhou grounded her when he saw how angry the Third concubine and the Madame were, and particularly in front of the guests. Zi Yu felt the unfairness but she bit her lips and stormed away. Cai Ying quickly excused herself and ran after her. Minister Zhou turned to the two guests and apologized before letting the servants leading the way to their quarter. Third concubine’s daughter, Zhou Zi Yang looked down and smiled shyly when she caught eyes with You Jian.

“Young Master Lu, Qin Laoshi, forgive my daughter’s unruliness.”

“It’s fine.” Lu She answered, but You Jian kept a straight face since he wasn’t happy witnessing such a scene. Minister was punishing one of his daughter when two were in the wrong without further questioning was enough for his promotion to the Review Department to be revoked. How would he be able to review important criminal cases if he can’t even be unbiased toward his children at home?

“Young Master Lu, Qin Laoshi, this way.” He lead them to You Jian’s quarter.


	8. Abandoned Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Had a light conversation at night with the maid, discussing about some mysterious entities and who has better martial skills.

In her rush, Zi Yu bumped into Jie Qiong when the latter was looking for her. Zi Yu scowled before dashing away.

“Zi Yu!” Jie Qiong rushed after.

Jie Qiong had a particular interest in Zi Yu since they first met. It was on her birthday that Zi Yu attended but they couldn’t play together because of the two different status. Jie Qiong was the daughter of the legal wife while Zi Yu was daughter to a concubine. Nevertheless, the two did secretly played along for one summer, but nothing came out of that friendship because Zi Yu distanced herself from her.

“Zi Yu!” She called after.

Cai Ying was following behind the both of them, making sure neither of them would get into trouble.

Zi Yu suddenly screamed and fell back when she saw an arrow flew toward her. She was quickly pulled out of the way by You Jian who managed to rush there in time. Lu She followed the direction the arrow came from to check on possible assassins.

“Who’s that?” Jie Qiong asked while Cai Ying picked up the arrow to examine it and noticed some flower symbol on it. “What’s that?” Jie Qiong asked.

“An arrow, with some flower on it.” Cai Ying answered, showing them the arrow.

“Who are you?” Zi Yu immediately break away from You Jian’s embrace.

“Miss, I apologize. I am Qin Jian You ( know everything ), your Laoshi from Daluzhou.” He bowed and she raised her brows.

“A scholar? Laoshi? Daluzhou?” She sighed and whispered, “What kind of absurdity is that old man trying?” She turned to Cai Ying and demand for the arrow. Cai Ying didn’t hesitate and handed over to her.

“Mistress, someone was trying to kill you. We must report it somehow–“

“No.” Zi Yu objected, “We won’t report it. They’ll be back. We’ll catch them then report them.” Zi Yu had a suspicion that it was one of the concubines or the Madame. She was hoping that she could catch them in the act and then report them.

You Jian didn’t like this plan much because she won’t survive with the people who try to assassinate her. If the arrow really has a flower symbol then it was probably one of the flower clans who were all currently powerful players at court.

“Let me see.” You Jian requested for the arrow. Zi Yu hesitated but one gaze at his stern eyes and she handed over. He checked carefully and saw a peony symbol. _Mudan Yang, this is not good. Mudan Yang and the Zhou clan, what relation do they have with each other that they’re sending out assassins in midday?_

“Laoshi?” Cai Ying called when she saw him spacing out.

“Ah, sorry. I was intrigued by the peony symbol on the arrow.”

Lu She came back and gave him the signal that he couldn’t find anyone. “What do you have there?” He asked when he saw the arrow.

“An arrow with a peony symbol.”

Lu She’s eyes widen in shock at You Jian. The three girls stared suspiciously at the two strangers in front of them.

“Who’s family has the peony symbol?” Zi Yu asked. “What have I done to them that they’re trying to kill me?” Zi Yu had thought it was one of the concubines but due to the symbol on the arrow she was then at a loss on why she was the target.

“Miss, I don’t think this arrow was meant for you. It could’ve been for anyone of us here, it could’ve been for me. Since I am from another country, who knows what type of enemies I’ve made on my way here?” You Jian’s quick wit conjured up an excuse to have her not worry so he can carry out the investigation himself, “Don’t worry, I truly believe this arrow was meant for me. I have to go talk to your father about this.”

The girls were not convinced, they all secretly questioned his identity and motives.

Lu She noticed their suspicions and jumped in, “The two Zhou mistresses, this incident must’ve startled the both of you and your maid. I and my friend apologize, but we can reassure you that this arrow was not meant for you two. My friend here is from Daluzhou, he is an important figure in Daluzhou, it is only natural that there will be people after him. For this reason, I am letting him staying at the Zhou family. Hopefully the security here would prevent further problems.”

Zi Yu didn’t buy it, neither did Jie Qiong and Cai Ying. If Zi Yu wasn’t wrong, the person that just talked was Lu She, a young master of the Lu clan. Lu clan from top to bottom were generals and military soldiers, nowhere is safer than the Lu’s manors. _Forget it, let’s see what you two are planning._ “You are that Laoshi that my dad hires to teach me?” Zi Yu turned to ask You Jian who nodded with a smile. “You are?”

“Qin Laoshi, but you can just call me Jian You since we are similar in age.” He answered.

“How can you be my laoshi when you’re this young? What kind of voodoo did you do to my father?” Zi Yu asked.

You Jian scoffed and answered with a straight face, “Charms.”

Jie Qiong almost choked on her own saliva while Lu She wanted to barf. Cai Ying looked down to suppress her laughs while Zi Yu stood staring at him with a stern unmoved face. But she admit that the answer almost send her toppling down, just the image of her father, a man with a wife and five concubines, changing his taste. She suddenly shivered at the thought. She caught herself then mumbled, “Well, can’t blame him, all his wife and concubines are insane, I’d change my taste in gender too if I were him.”

You Jian heard her murmurs. His brows knitted at the thought of her misunderstanding what he meant, but it was too late. He said what he said and couldn’t pull it back.

“Forget it, this Miss is not in the mood for studying. I have other things to do. Jian You, you, enjoy the area with your friend. Cai Ying, we’re going.” Zi Yu ordered and Cai Ying trailed along. Jie Qiong excused herself and followed after. She had to get to the bottom of all this mess with Zi Yu, she couldn’t stand being ignore like this.

“You Jian. This is an arrow from Mudan Yang.” Lu She whispered as soon as the girls left the premise.

“I know. I’m now even more curious of what’s going on.”

“You Jian, should I move in here too to keep you company? I fear that with the Zhou family’s incompetency and Mudan Yang showing hostility, you might be in danger.” Lu She suggested, although he just wanted to join the family because he thought the young misses of this house would be a riot and he was always into adventures.

“It’s fine. I think it’s better that you stay out of the Zhou manor. It is better for us to move around.” You Jian suggested that the two split up. He would stay in the Zhou’s manor while Lu She stay outside so he could easily forward news without anyone being suspicious. You Jian was very confident in his own martial skills and he was sure that his grandfather had already sent men to look after him. The arrow missed him was due to their interference. Although it was very close to hitting Zi Yu, and he didn’t like that. His suspicion was on point as the men who caught glimpses of his death glares shivered in cold sweat. Thank the heaven that they only answered to the Grand Duke and not young master You Jian or their days would be done with.

Lu She chuckled, “You, need to separate love from serious business. It’ll be a problem in the near future if you can’t separate the two.”

“I know. It is one thing that Grandfather always reminded me. Anyway, it is getting late. I think it’s best that you leave while I settle in. Do come visit often–.”

“Oh you bet I will. I’ll come everyday just to see how you teach your future wife how to behave.” Lu She said in jest, but he received a light kick from You Jian. “Aye, this is how you treat your best friend? You gonna kick me out like this?”

“It’s in your nature to crawl out. You are Lu She!” You Jian heaved with a big smile when Lu She jumped and pranced away while chuckling. “Troublesome days are ahead of me.” He whispered to himself before turning around to get to his assigned quarter. His grin quickly disappeared when he spotted a servant boy sweeping the leaves on the ground. It was a gut reaction at first sight when he saw him. There was something suspicious about the boy, as if he saw him somewhere before. Immediately he went to ask for the boy’s name.

Zhen Rong was sweeping the leaves in the other courtyard when he saw suspicious shadows on the wall moving very fast to this other place so he followed. When he saw Zi Yu and the rest coming he immediately hid away and eavesdrop on their conversation. He became even more suspicious when he heard the word ‘Daluzhou’ and stayed to catch the entire conversation that You Jian and Lu She had with each other. He found it highly amusing that one of them is faking to be a Dalu. When he peeked, he saw a familiar face that he had seen on the battleground near the border of Daluzhou. It was a few years back when that face was just a baby face that he saved from the other army. That kid wouldn’t leave him be and would follow him everywhere that day, preventing him from hunting down the huge desert pig that he had his eyes on for all summer long.

You Jian quickly went forward to greet Zhen Rong with a smile and a question, “Servant boy, what is your name?”

Zhen Rong bowed with a smile, “Lu Yu.”

“Lu…Yu…” He whispered to himself before asking, “Lu Yu, I am Qin Laoshi, the new hired teacher for the young miss of the household. I am from Daluzhou. You look very familiar to someone I’ve met there, have you ever been to Daluzhou before?” You Jian was very ecstatic to see someone look so similar to that older brother that rescued him summers ago. He had always wanted to meet him again and reward him with something.

Zhen Rong confirmed that it was that kid by just his questions, “Qin Laoshi, I’ve never been anywhere called Daluzhou. But I’ve been elsewhere in the desert, I have no idea the name of the place. I lost my family while we were on our way here from Heishan to the west of Jin. Luckily I came upon the Zhou family and they took me in.”

“Is that so?” You Jian’s excitement disappeared, “Then it is nice to meet you.” He smiled before walking away.

Zhen Rong looked at the young man’s back with a smirk on his face. _Things were too quiet, all of a sudden came two new players, and an assassination attempt in broad daylight. Great that I chose the right place to start._

_––•••––_

“Zhou Zi Yu!” Jie Qiong shouted, “Stop right there. Us two need to have a chat!”

Zi Yu turned back with a stern face.

“Zi Yu. You… You’re going to be married off to the Grand Duke?” Jie Qiong found it so pitiful. It was very strange that the Grand Duke would want someone so young. What would the Grand Duke have in benefit marrying a fifteen years old like Zi Yu.

“Was going to. But I will run away.” Zi Yu said firmly. Sh ehad thought it over, she would die than to marry to such an old man. So what if the Grand Duke was a powerful man of the royal bloodline? How sick of him to want to marry someone like her? They have never even met, how could he easily told his people to come to her house and ask for her hand in marriage?

“I don’t think that would work. The Grand Duke would kill everyone in the Zhou’s family if you run away.” Jie Qiong reminded her.

“Then what can I do?” Zi Yu asked with a shaken voice. “I don’t want to marry that old man!” She sobbed in front of Jie Qiong and Cai Ying.

Jie Qiong calmed her down with supportive words, “There could be some mistake. Perhaps the Grand Duke mistook you for someone else, perhaps it was not as severe as you think. Perhaps it was just a stall for something else. The Grand Duke didn’t seem to be in a rush either. I heard father’s conversation with some of his men regarding the Grand Duke wanting to marry you. Even though it would greatly help our clan, but it seems like the Grand Duke was not in a rush. I heard he said something about the Grand Duke is waiting for you to mature a bit.” Jie Qiong suddenly scowled, “It’s the old men in our household that are pushing the day to be nearer.”

“But I still don’t want to marry him!” Zi Yu continued in tears. Strangely, it was always with Jie Qiong that she shed her tears.

“We’ll think of something.” Jie Qiong said with a nod while drying Zi Yu’s tears.

Cai Ying too thought the Grand Duke wanting to marry her young mistress was absurd, but she also agreed that if her young mistress runaway then the whole Zhou’s clan would be killed off. She must think of a plan before her young mistress would do something irreparable.

––•••––

It was a very beautiful quiet night that Zhen Rong went to take a stroll around the courtyard. Strolling leisurely toward an abandoned garden where the supposed eerie well was that Zhi Rong had told him earlier in the day. Each step he assessed what he had so far.

_One, Zhou Zi Yu is the youngest daughter of the family. Daughter of the Fourth Concubine. But then Fifth Concubine had a daughter that is Zi Lin’s age? These two things does not add up. Supposedly, the death of Fifth Concubine’s daughter has to do with the well in this abandoned courtyard. There were rumors going around regarding the marriage of the Grand Duke with Miss Zi Yu. Why would the Grand Duke want to have relation with the Zhou’s clan? Mudan Yang sent an arrow as a warning but that fake scholar deemed it was for him. Mudan Yang…Mudan Yang…Yi Mei from Liu Qian’s side. Yi Mei is possibly replicating the jade seal using real imperial jade. Then what about Mudan Yang? They cannot be not in the know about this. They have to know. Their target is the Zhou clan. Which side of the Zhou clan belong to?_

“Lu Yu!”

Zhen Rong grimaced with a hissed when he heard her screaming in the middle of the night for him.

“Lu Yu!” Cai Ying ran toward him but bumped into his chest when he turned around abruptly, “Ah!”

“What is it? It’s the middle of the night. Don’t you have a curfew?”

“I do. But not until I finish cleaning up this abandoned courtyard as my punishment.”

 _Another punishment? Why does it seem like this girl always get into trouble with this household?_ “So, what did you do this time, or what did Miss Zi Yu do this time that cause you to clean up the mess?”

“Young Mistress never did anything wrong. It was always the other people that picked on her. You better not blame her and believe in all their lies. Besides, this abandoned courtyard isn’t so bad. It’s quiet and no one dare to go in since it’s rumored to be haunted.”

“Haunted?” Zhen Rong’s interest piqued.

Cai Ying nodded before pointing to the well, “There were rumors that the well had no water. Maids and servant boys fell in and that is now their grave. The well one night had water fill up to the brim, but it was contaminated by their corpse so the water is now poisonous. Anyone who drink from it, touch it or fall in would die immediately. Oddly, if you check the well in daylight, it would be drained. If you check at night, it would fill to the brim.”

Zhen Rong glanced over at the eerie well before turning his gaze back to Cai Ying and asked, “Are you not scared?”

Cai Ying tilted her head and asked, “Of?”

“Well, weird…eerie stuff.”

Cai Ying laughed and chuckled, “No such thing. I’m not afraid of such thing. Nothing is scarier than human.”

Zhen Rong smiled when he saw her bright smile. It must’ve been the moonlight that hit his eyes because he saw her a bit too bright tonight. “You’re not wrong. Human are the scariest in this world. But still, you staying here alone isn’t safe. How about I’ll help you clean up before going back to Miss Zi Yu.” _I can check around the area and see what’s amiss._

Cai Ying slightly hesitated, but didn’t question his motives. She nodded in agreement. “I have to clean the abandoned quarter, well, I don’t understand why it has to be cleaned when it is already abandoned by the master.”

“Who lived here?” Zhen Rong asked.

“I don’t know. I heard that it was a favorite concubine of the master, but she didn’t like him so he abandoned her. It is rumored, you best not look into it or you’ll be caned or thrown out of the manor.” Cai Ying warned. “Furthermore, we’re servants, our job is to look after our masters, not to gossips and create troubles. We are supposed to clean up after them.” Zhen Rong smiled wryly before nodding in agreement. He sighed and looked around before Cai Ying gave him a broom. “Why don’t you sweep the ground while I go inside to check. I cleaned the place this morning, so there shouldn’t be much to do.” He took the broom and did as told.

Zhen Rong’s eyes couldn’t be taken away from the well as he swept the ground. He wanted to check the well to see if it’s really full of water. He glanced toward the house to see if Cai Ying would come out anytime before moving closer to the well. He quickly slid the lid opened and saw that it was full of water. He closed it back up and moved away from the well before Cai Ying came out.

“You’re done?” He asked and she nodded.

“Give the broom to me. I’ll clean up the rest, you can go.”

“It’s fine. I’m almost done.”

“That won’t do. It’s my job.” She grabbed the broom out of his hand and started to sweep the ground herself. Zhen Rong didn’t want to leave so he loitered around her. She felt awkward with him hovering around her, staring at her with that faint smile of his that she started to ask him random questions. “Lu Yu, do you have any martial skills? Well, I know you saved Young Mistress, but how good are you at fighting?”

“Hm… That depend.”

“Depend? If you’re good then you’re good, if you’re not, then you’re not. What other factors are needed?”

“Well, it depend on the opponent. If the opponent has higher martial skills then I won’t be able to defeat them.” _Although I’m confident I can defeat an army of 300 very easily in half an hour._ Cai Ying was hoping that he’d be good enough to take care of the young mistress but with his answer, she would have to reassess. Zhen Rong noticed of her worried expression, lightly answered, “I think, it depend on what your assessment is of a high martial skills. It seems like you know some martial skills. Would you like to test to see how good I am?”

She turned to him and shook her head. _How did he know? Am I that obvious?_

“Well then I guess you can’t be judging my skills if you don’t want to test it out. But, I am confident that I can definitely defeat a lot of people if I put my mind to it.” Zhen Rong was normally reserved when it came to his martial skills, but for a brief moment he had the urge to show it off.

_He’s right. I have to test him out somehow. If Zi Yu is planning to run away then it would be better to have someone skillful in martial arts to go with her to protect her. Of course it would be better if I’m there to protect her, but… I do want to go find father. Madame’s promise has to be broken._

“Cai Ling?” Zhen Rong called, waving his hand in front of her eyes when she spaced out. “Lingling? Linglan? Hey, are you still here?”

“Sorry. I was preoccupied by something else…and it’s CAI. LING!”

Zhen Rong chuckled and nodded. “Cai. Ling. Young Mistress.” He added in jest. Cai Ying pouted in defeat. Zhen Rong continued his question with a smile. “What is bothering you so much these days? You don’t look yourself. Since I’m someone assigned for Miss Zi Yu, you had declared that we’re the same team, so it’s okay to tell me.”

“Nothing. You can go back, I’ll be finishing up this courtyard in a few minutes.” She said.

“Okay. I won’t push if you don’t want to tell me.” He left but secretly kept an eye on her until she finished and went back to the quarter with Zi Yu.


	9. The Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another attempt to run away from home, but organized in a fog maze in the forest by some flute song.

The next morning You Jian was all prepared for his first class. His students were mostly the young mistresses of the Zhou’s household, but the one that he wanted to see the most was not there. He quickly search for ways to end class early so he could search for her, but that one young mistress, Zhou Zi Yang who had taken a liking to him kept throwing out poetic phrases that she learned from an imported book from Daluzhou to impress him, and to ask him for explanations. It was at this moment that You Jian found that he should’ve gone as some normal scholar and not any one special from Daluzhou. He learned nothing from his trip to Daluzhou in regard to their literature. His trip wasn’t meant to read books but more so to learn how to ride horses and navigate the desert borders, and learn to fight among their warriors. He could tell her the long and arduous desert border of Daluzhou that wrapped around it’s oasis of highlands that no one knows about. He could tell her about the custom of that country where they allow their people to marry out of the country during the Qixi festival if they found a lover. The young men and women of that country are carefree to the point where the first few years of their adult life were spent wandering the world, calling anywhere as home rather than getting marry and settling down. _Although, on second thought, maybe telling them all the great things about Daluzhou would help give them more hopes and options to life. But Zi Yu…Well, this is a topic that can be covered the next class, it would be better for Zi Yu to hear it as well._

“All the Young Mistresses here today, thank you for coming. However, class today is a short one. I just wanted to introduce myself to you all. When the class is full again, the class will be longer. You are all dismiss.” You Jian quickly got out of his seat and went back to his room just in time when Lu She appeared.

“What’s wrong? Why did you cut short your class today?” Lu She asked.

“Zi Yu wasn’t there.” You Jian answered while changing to something easier to move about.

“Okay, so you cut class short because?”

“Zi Yu wasn’t there.”

“And what are you doing changing out of your scholar robe?”

“I’m going out. I have to verify something. Also I am afraid Zi Yu ran away from home this morning. I heard the girls were talking about how it was so quiet this morning and that Zi Yu wasn’t found in her room, neither was her maid and her servant boy. Minister Zhou is eerily quiet this morning, but he sent people to search for them. I think they might be in danger.”

“Guess I have to go with you then.” Lu She said.

––•••––

It was early in the morning that Zi Yu left home with the aid of Jie Qiong. By sunrise the two were separated. Jie Qiong found herself on the east side of the city while Zi Yu wandered in the forest. While Zi Yu bravely moved through the forest trying to find a way out, Jie Qiong ambled about in the market street looking for food. She was thinking of buying something to eat before going back to the forest to search for Zi Yu.

“I am so going to get punish for this.” She murmured to herself. “But she was crying all night! I’m sure that she won’t be hurt. She could fight for herself. So long as she kept to the road I told her to go, she won’t find troubles.” Jie Qiong was very nervous on the ordeal and had to reason with herself in order to calm her nerves. However, she was not mindful of her own surroundings that she bumped into a beggar and lost her purse. The beggar quickly made away while she went to pay for a mantou. “My purse!” She gasped, immediately she bolt toward his direction and went after him. The beggar wore a very bright clean and white sash around his dirty clothes that made it obvious that he probably stole it from someone. She used that and spot him from the crowd and caught wind of him by the gate out of the city.

“You scoundrel!” She shouted. “Give me back my purse!”

The beggar attempted to dash out of the city but Jie Qiong blocked his passage with her own martial skills. The beggar had some skills of his own that Jie Qiong was no match for. The guards attempted to break the fight and reprimanded them but the beggar quickly flew out of the gate when the guards were caught in the crowd of people swarming over to watch a fight. Jie Qiong then quickly went after the beggar. Unbeknownst to her, the ‘ghost’ that she encountered saw their fight and also followed right after.

Zhi Rong went after the beggar for stealing his white sash. He had the sash with him but never took it out after he left Liu-Yang, yet somehow this beggar knew about it and stole it from him. To the commoner’s eyes, the sash was a piece of white silk, it was expensive, sure. However, to Zhi Rong, it was more valuable than just being a silk sash. It was a piece of garment that could not be worn by any commoner. It was a piece of cloth for royal prince of Daluzhou. He had it with him in case he ever entered the border of Daluzhou and needed something to showcase his identity. Normally he would bring his pair of daggers but since Zhen Rong was in a rush, he couldn’t pack everything except the white sash that was on him at the time.

Outside of the city’s gate was a forest that Zi Yu entered. Zi Yu didn’t know where she was going but wandered off into the forest, hoping she’d find a way out.

Zhen Rong saw her sneaking out in the morning and quickly went after. He saw that she was carrying a bag with her. He concluded that the young mistress of the household is running away, again. He could only follow but not shown himself. Not long after he lost her when he encountered a masked man and had a light fight on the spot. It was right at the fifth strike that he was able to unmask the young man, only to find that it was the Qin Laoshi that Minister Zhou had hired.

“Qin Laoshi?”

You Jian gulped in fear, even though it was just that Lu Yu, the servant boy. “Lu Yu?”

“Qin Laoshi–.”

“Lu Yu, I don’t know what your plan is, but the Young Mistress Zi Yu must return home immediately!” He ordered.

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding this is, but I had nothing to do with her leaving. I was tasked to keep track of the Young Mistress. All I could do was trailing after her. Qin Laoshi, you’re obstructing my task. And now I’ve lost her.” Zhen Rong retorted.

You Jian’s lips pulled back into a gentle smile. “I don’t mean to startle–“

“What is Qin Laoshi doing following after me?” Zhen Rong asked. “Why did Qin Laoshi dismissed class early today?”

“Class today was an introduction. I had other plan so couldn’t continue.” You Jian replied.

“And what is Qin Laoshi’s plan?” Zhen Rong asked further.

You Jian was in a hurry, he couldn’t afford the chit chat so asked for forgiveness, but Zhen Rong wouldn’t let him leave. They ended up testing their martial skills against each other to settle the problem they were in.

––

Zhi Rong and Jie Qiong was lured into a trap. They both found themselves in the middle of a fog maze when they entered the forest a second time chasing after the beggar. While Zhi Rong was on high alert, Jie Qiong tugged onto his sleeve and stayed close. When he turned to look at her she got even closer.

“Miss, this is too close.” He said.

She pined and stepped back, but this time instead of just tugging she grabbed his whole sleeve. “S-s-sorry. I don’t want the purse anymore, but I don’t even know how to go back.”

Zhi Rong sighed, “Should I buy more cloths and tied them to trees so you can follow?”

Jie Qiong spaced out for a moment before realization struck her, “IT WAS YOU!” She shouted then hit him.

Zhi Rong flinched back but still allow her to release her stress on him. She ended up sobbing instead.

“I wanna go home.” She said.

He gently patted her head. “Calm down, I’m trying to find a way out. If you just dry your tears and stick to me. Don’t bring trouble and I’ll find us a way out.”

Jie Qiong dried her tears and nodded.

“Good, okay. I don’t think that is a normal beggar. It’s going to be a bit hard to fight him if he uses tricks, and for the Beggar Sect they used numerous tricks. We can’t fight them. We’ll just have to retreat.”

Jie Qiong nodded.

Zhi Rong looked around and saw that the fog was getting thicker, he had no other way but to go up. He picked Jie Qiong up and flew to the top to settle on one of the branches. She protested this idea but liked it when he placed her on one of the bigger branch right next to the trunk so she could either lean on it or hug it.

“Stay up here.” He said before dropping down to take care of business.

––

Cai Ying was secretly following Zi Yu deep into the forest until she lost her at an intersection when the sound of the flute was getting stronger. “Zi Yu usually is very sharped and could easily find her ways out, why did she keep going deeper into the forest like she was controlled?” She asked herself. Thinking that searching for her in this way is useless, Cai Ying remembered her father’s word in regarding to a beggar sect that located in this particular forest and left to go see if they have her.

––

After competing for many rounds You Jian thought that Lu Yu, the servant boy was still hiding a lot from him. In an attempt to trick him to reveal himself You Jian decided to use more powerful moves, one that he learned specifically from a general in Daluzhou. Zhen Rong being Zhen Rong was ahead of him in trickeries, decided that it was enough fooling around, used his most favorite and valuable martial skill. Fleeing. He was like the wind, passing by You Jian in a blink of an eye, leaving the boy in vex of what had happened.

––

Upon the gate of the Beggars village Cai Ying noticed all the eyes were on her.

“Young-miss, what bring you here?” An old man asked.

“I am here to look for my uncle.” She said.

“And who might that be?” The old man asked.

“Your leader.” Cai Ying revealed.

Rong Zai in a mask laughed, “I don’t have niece.” He said from the balcony of a restaurant.

Cai Ying glanced up, “Oh? Okay, then I’m here to look for my nephew.” She said.

“And who might that be?” The old man asked.

“Your leader.” She answered.

“Ah? Just like that and my rank went from an uncle to a nephew?” He laughed. “Miss, there are crazier people here than you. Go away.”

Cai Ying smiled, “I came here for a reason. I will not leave until I attain what I came for.”

“And what are you here for?” Rong Zai asked.

“My young mistress.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but we here at beggar sect only steal items, not human.” Rong Zai said.

“If you didn’t take her, then who else in this forest would lured her away with a flute song?” Cai Ying asked, gazing at the green jade flute that Rong Zai held in his hand.

Rong Zai laughed but before his men could catch Cai Ying, she was already up on the balcony with her sword out ready to strike him. He dodged in time and ran off into the fog maze. Cai Ying went after without any hesitation.

––

Zhi Rong could not believe how thick the fog could become. It was not natural, he had to give it up and went up the tree to take up some fresh air.

“Was there people down?” Jie Qiong asked.

“No one but thick fogs, we might end up sleeping here for the night.” He said.

She weeped but he told her to shush or wild animal would come to eat her.

“I’m on a tree!” She rebuked.

“There are flying wild animals–“ Zhi Rong stopped in the middle of his sentence when he heard a familiar sound.

“What is that?” Jie Qiong asked when she heard flute song.

“GE!” Zhi Rong announced before dropping back down. “Ge! Ge!”

“Zhi Min, is that you?” Zhen Rong asked with some coughing.

“Ge, it’s me. Can you see me?” Zhi Rong asked, trying to look around the thick fog. As he looked he moved around so his motion could be tracked.

“Didi!” Zhen Rong called when he saw his back.

“Ge!” Zhi Rong said excitedly when he saw his older brother still intact.

Just as the two brothers was reunited, they heard two more voices that came close. They were male and was bickering.

“How did you get in and not know the way out?” One of them berated the other.

“Look at you? You got in and don’t know the way out either!” the other one retorted.

The voices got nearer and they continued to bicker over the same thing until they entered the orbit of the Piao’s brothers.

“Qin Laoshi?” Zhen Rong called.

“Lu Yu!”

“Who’s he?” Both Zhi Rong and Lu She asked.

“Tsk, we’re not close, don’t ask.” Both Zhen Rong and You Jian answered.

Zhi Rong and Lu She side-eyed the two before getting to know each other by themselves without needing the other two’s introduction as they figure out the fog situation.

“What do you suppose we do about this?” Zhi Rong asked.

Lu She sighed, he too don’t know what to do with this situation. His friend is acting like a child, not listening to him at all. “Maybe if all four of us tied a rope together then all four go different route–“

“We don’t have ropes here.” Zhen Rong butted in.

“Oh, Okay. How about–.”

Jie Qiong screamed all of a sudden. She startled Lu She so much that he hugged on tight to You Jian while Zhi Rong went up to fetch her. He had forgotten about her for a moment.

“Why did you scream?” Zhi Rong asked.

“There are ghosts!” She shouted hiding her face in his chest.

Zhen Rong was not shock that Zhi Rong found himself a girl, but shocked he brought a girl with him on mission.

“It’s not like that.” He said to his second brother.

“Lover?” Lu She asked.

“She’s a stranger.” Zhi Rong said while prying her out from himself.

“I saw two ghosts flying below me!” She sobbed with hands hooked to his waist, refusing to let go. Zhi Rong stretched his arms giving up.

“Ghosts, flying?” Zhen Rong asked and as soon as he finished his question, the fog slowly dissolved showing two figures flying about. He could also smell the agarwood lingering in the air along with the tinkling sound of bells. The fog cleared up and the party saw in front of them two swordsmen. One is in green tattered clothes and one in all teal with a veil covered their face.

The two of them looked to be at the same level but the swordsman in teal edged out on one move. It was a swift swordplay that only Zhen Rong could recognized. It was something that his Master had taught him. This person was too young to be his old master. Zhen Rong could only think that this might be a senior or a junior with the same master as his. _But Master said he doesn’t take in any other disciple but me?_ He thought hard about the words of his master and remembered that he had talked about his daughter. _Could this be Master’s daughter, Xiao Ying?_ Just as his thought ended the fight came to a halt when the swordsman in teal knocked down the one in green.

“Who are you?” Rong Zai asked.

Before Cai Ying could answer, Zi Yu ran out calling for Jie Qiong. Her re-appearance was a shock to Jie Qiong and the others as they crowded around her to ask where she went. Zhi Rong briefly glanced back to look at the Teal Swordsmen but found the green one, Rong Zai, trying to get away and the Teal Swordsmen was nowhere to be found.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Zhi Rong asked when he grabbed Rong Zai’s shoulder.

“If you let me go, I’ll give you back your sash.” Rong Zai made an abrupt deal.

“No, I’ll have my sash.” He ripped it out from his waist, “And you.”

Rong Zai smiled and nodded before sighing in disappointments.


	10. Hidden Treasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Curses usually comes with treasures. When you found them, what will happen?

Even after everything had settled back to somewhat, normality, Zhen Rong couldn’t stop thinking about that Teal Swordsman in the forest. He could’ve sworn those moves were from his Master’s, but he lost the lead in regarding to that direction. He shook his head and went back to the main case that he had been working on.

_Since that time Zhou Zi Yu had became very strangely obedient. Staying in her room to pray, going to Qin Laoshi’s classes everyday then go back to pray some more. It’s as if she had been hypnotized. When asked about what happened, she didn’t say a word and only stated that she woke up and saw herself standing behind a thick curtain of fog. Zhou Jie Qiong was immediately sent back to her family. Qin Laoshi continued to take up residence and continue to fake his profession, not only that but his friend Lu She have become very close to Zhi Rong. Zhi Rong captured the Beggar Sect’s leader…The Beggar Sect’s leader…How could a leader of a sect easily be captured? How was he defeated by a mysterious swordsman? What about Cai Ling? Cai Ling…?_

“Lingling!” He called when he saw her passing by with a basket in hands.

She turned and corrected him, “Cai Ling!”

“But you answered.” He retorted with a smile.

Cai Ying sighed deeply in defeat with him.

Seeing how she wasn’t happy, he immediately corrected himself, “Cai Ling. Where are you going?”

“I have a day off today so I am just going out for a bit.” She answered before leaving.

“Wait.” Zhen Rong called but she left in a rush. “Hm, normally she would only have Zi Yu in mind, where is she rushing to now?”

Cai Ying took her secretive basket and went into the forest, the same one that the party was in days ago. Zhen Rong quietly tailed behind and found her stopping at a stone slabs by the water stream. He watched her taking out a dish full of longevity buns with a small wine gourd from the basket to place them on the slabs, then she sat on the stone chair hugging her legs with her chin to her knees, crying to herself.

Strange as it was, Zhen Rong showed himself in an attempt to truly befriend her. “Can I join?”

She peeked to see him taking a seat right next to her, she wanted to say no but had no energy to.

“Hm…” Zhen Rong stared at the longevity buns and the wine gourd. He was sure that it wasn’t her birthday she’s celebrating, but a family member’s. “It’s your father birthday today?”

Cai Ying nodded before murmuring, “He’s not coming this year too. I miss him.”

“Ah…” Zhen Rong scoffed for his own absurdity of questioning everyone’s motives and forgotten that each person has a story that they try to hide. “I’m sorry.”

“Hm?” Cai Ying questioned, not understanding what he meant by those words.

“I–Your father–.”

“He comes every year on his birthday and mine so we can celebrate then he leave. Last year he didn’t come, not on his birthday nor mine.”

“This year too?” Zhen Rong asked and she could only nod in silence. He became even more curious and questioned further, “Uhm…Maybe something happened–.”

“CAN’T BE!” She shouted and he startled. Zhen Rong jerked back, Cai Ying bit her lip looking remorseful for shouting at him.

“I mean–“

“Father is a great martial artist. He’s a powerful man, nothing could happen to him. Nobody can harm him!” She revealed.

“Your father?” He asked, very eager to find out if he was his master.

Cai Ying was hesitant to give away her father’s identity even though she impulsively revealed part of it. “You have to keep a secret if I tell you.”

Zhen Rong smiled to himself while immediately put up his pinky to make a promise.

“If you tell others who he is, I will hunt you down and won’t let you live!” She stated and he nodded with a gentle smile. Cai Ying reached out with her own pinky hooking onto his before sealing it with their thumbs. They awkwardly looked away when both pulled back their fingers. “My father is Shui Yang.”

“Shui Yang?” Zhen Rong asked to reassure.

Cai Ying nodded and studied his face as he was deep in thoughts.

_Then this is Master’s daughter, Xiao Ying, the swordsman in teal. Master had entrusted me of protecting his daughter. She’s right in front of me, but how do I know if it’s really her? But if she’s not the one then who else know that move other than Master and I? I have to take her away from this household first._

“Lu Yu?” Cai Ying called when she noticed him staring into the blanked distance. “LU YU?”

“YES?” He asked.

“What’s wrong? What are you thinking of?” She asked but brushed it off, “Never-mind that. I have a dilemma, and I need your help if possible.”

“What’s the problem?” He asked.

“You see. I was tasked to take care and protect Mistress Zi Yu since I was five. The thing is, I don’t want to do it anymore. I want to find my father. I’ll have to run away, but Zi Yu also want to run away…” She hesitated then murmured in a sad tone, “I can’t be sure if I can protect her in the world.”

“You want me to replace you and be her caretaker?”

Cai Ying nodded.

Zhen Rong then proposed something very radical to her, “If Zi Yu want to run away then she is no longer your Young Mistress.”

Cai Ying shook her head, “That won’t do. Mother made a promise–.”

“To who?” Zhen Rong asked.

“To a friend. Many years ago when they left their home country to come over here. They made promises and I was to protect the Young Mistress.”

 _It seems like Xiao Ying knows more about the history of Zhou’s family than she lets on. If I probed more will she give me more information?_ He thought and gambled.

“Cai Ling, I can help you. But since I came from a mercantile family, some deal has to be made.” Cai Ying shook her head before packing up her longevity buns and wine gourd to leave but Zhen Rong held her back with a simple, “I know where your father is.” She turned around with anger in her eyes, believing that he lied to her. She believed that not many people know who her father was and he took the advantage that she had given to use against her. She had a crush on him but it dissolve very quickly when he used her father in order to make a deal with her. Zhen Rong saw it in her eyes that she was not an easy person to trick and had to appease her with some truths of his own. “My name is Zhen Rong, I–“

“I don’t care.” She brushed his hand off before turning away from him, having him to chase after her to apologize.

––

Zhen Rong thought he had a pawn in his hand but his impulsiveness let it slipped away. She had ignored him since their returns and he couldn’t do anything about it but lament about this long and arduous case to himself. He sighed and looked up to the moon then remembered the reflection of it upon a vat of water. “Oh…No water in the day, but full of water at night…” He whispered to himself, ‘But fill to the brim…Could there be a vat of water down there?” _But why would anyone put a vat of water down a well? Unless the well is a secret passage way?_ Zhen Rong went immediately to the abandoned courtyard.

––

Zhi Rong found it strange that the Beggar Sect’s leader did not mind being captured with hands tied together. Rather, he even enjoy his time by the fire pit grilling some fish that Lu She helped fished.

Rong Zai with hands tied together held onto the stick with the fish stuck on it, he smiled happily that he’d finally get to eat some grilled fish.

“Beggar Sect’s leader. Why aren’t you escaping?” Lu She asked.

“I don’t want to yet.” He answered casually.

Zhi Rong scoffed, “Yet? You won’t be able to.”

Rong Zai did not say anything but smile.

Lu She and Zhi Rong glanced at each other then at Rong Zai in suspicion of what his plan could be. Whatever he had planned they cannot let him leave.

––

Zhen Rong snuck into the abandoned house to find the way in. He thought that if the well is empty in the morning it must be for emergency get-away. If the well is full to the brim at night then it is to keep others away. Then the true way in must be through the building. It is dark at night, if he lit a candle then people would take notice of the strange occurrence happening at the abandoned house. “There are many ghost stories about this place, light appearing at night wouldn’t be so strange…” Zhen Rong murmured to himself. He pulled out a small flame stick to lead his way through the dark.

Quietly rummaging through all the artifacts displayed to find a secret nob or a something that could reveal hidden doors but he couldn’t find anything. Zhen Rong abandoned the search when he thought that it might be better to do it at daylight. Before he could get out of the place he overheard a terrifying cry from outside that startled him. He never truly believe in ghosts, but if the place is truly haunted then he would have to count on buddha to protect his soul.

“Fifth Concubine! Where are you going?” Someone called after her.

 _Is that not Fourth Concubine’s voice?_ He put away the flame and Fifth Concubine became delirious calling out her dead daughter’s name as she sprint toward the house. Zhen Rong quickly tried to find a hiding place in the dark and accidentally tripped on the chair that sent him flying down a hole that opened in the middle of the room. Luckily he used his martial skills to aid him in the landing right in a room full of golds and jades when he ignite the flame stick. “Woah.” He let out when he saw the light reflects on the golds and the beautiful jades. He also found more rare artifacts but majority of the treasures are jades. Zhen Rong was ecstatic with the findings but worried about his escape when he looked up to see the trapped door shut. He flew up trying to open it but found it’s sealed tight. “Not good.” He said to himself, forced to find another route out. _There’s no way out, and the place is so dark. If I light up the lanterns will it be shown through the cracks above? But the trapped doors are overlapped so light shouldn’t get out._ Zhen Rong went around to light up the lanterns and when all was done he sat in awed looking at the treasures that he found underneath Zhou’s manor. Perhaps the most shocking thing that his eyes laid on wasn’t the gold, but the jades. Its colors and weight indicated their rarity. He knew immediately that they were imperial jade. _Is it possible that Mudan Yang was searching for them? If Yi Mei is part of the network for the ‘Best in the World’ competition then they must owned a portion of imperial jade. If Mudan Yang is their enemy, then Mudan Yang must be searching for the storage of the jade. Zhou’s Manor is the ball being tossed by two dragons. This is too big. I can’t take care of this. Jin is in political turmoil, pretty soon they will attack Daluzhou. I have to get out of here and get back to Daluzhou_.

Zhen Rong looked around but couldn’t find any other pathway but one that lead to a chamber with a bed and a cradle that hasn’t been used for years. “Who could’ve been living here with their baby?” He whispered to himself, “A mother.” He said after seeing the embroidery hoop still with the works in progress left on the table. Zhen Rong looked a bit more and saw a pair of shoes, “A father.” He whispered. “If this is the quarter of a concubine, then there shouldn’t be any other male?”

“Seen enough?”

Zhen Rong’s jumped in shock when he heard the familiar voice and when he turned it was her that he came face to face with. _Xiao Ying._

“Who are you? And why are you in Zhou’s manor?” Cai Ying asked.

“Didn’t I tell you before?” Zhen Rong asked in return. “Zhen Rong, I came to Zhou’s manor to find you.” He said with a smile.

“I’m not dumb.” Cai Ying retorted. “That wasn’t your motive.”

“Then what about you? Your father is Shui Yang, what are you doing here at Zhou’s manor?”

“None of your business.” She retorted. “Regardless of why you came here. You’ve seen too much and according to protocol, Lu Yu, I have to kill you.” Cai Ying announced.

Zhen Rong smirked at her flying toward him. He dodged and dodged all of her moves without hitting back. Cai Ying was surprised that he too knew all the moves that she does, and that frustrated her because she could’t land any hit on him.

“How did you know all of my father’s martial skills?” She asked.

“I told you before. I know where your father is, but you don’t believe me.” Zhen Rong sighed, “Of course I know who Shui Yang is and where he is. I’m his only disciple.” He smiled contentedly at her confused face.

“You’re lying.” She said, but then asked. “Where is father right now?”

“Daluzhou.” Zhen Rong answered immediately. _I have no idea where Master is, but I have to take her out of here somehow._

“Why would my father be in Daluzhou of all places?” Cai Ying asked.

“How would I know? Master want to go wherever he wants to go, who can stop him?”

Cai Ying bit her lips for he was right. The dilemma came when she couldn’t figure out how to deal with him. She was tasked to look after the treasures underneath the abandoned courtyard. An intruder came, not just any intruder, but her father’s disciple. Will she kill him or let him leave is a question she couldn’t decide. “I’ll let fate decide your life for you.” Cai Ying murmured.

“What’s that?” Zhen Rong asked.

Cai Ying smiled before sitting down at the table. “This place… was where my father and mother lived with me as a baby. My father is the guard of this place in exchange for a living place. Since father left I was made as the guard. Anyone who comes in will have to die.”

‘Huh?” Zhen Rong was in shocked, how could they sent out someone like her to kill anyone?

“If by sunrise you can get out of this place yourself, I’ll consider all this as just a dream. If you can’t get out by sunrise, then…you will have to die here.”

Zhen Rong gaped at her well thought out plan. He took it back, they could and definitely should, with the wisest decision, sent her out to kill anyone.

––

Zhi Rong pretended to sleep so he could peek at what Rong Zai was doing but Rong Zai too was pretending to sleep with hopes that the other party would sleep before him.

“You two can stop.” Lu She said, “None of us are sleeping anyway.”

They opened their eyes and repositioned themselves to sit closer to the fire.

“Beggar Sect’s leader.” Lu She called.

“Cui Rong Zai, call me Rong Zai instead.” He said.

“Lu She. And he’s Zhi Rong.” He pointed to Zhi Rong. “Rong Zai, I know you have high ability to escape but why are you not escaping? It has been days but the Beggar Sect isn’t here to fetch you either?”

“Actually, I’m not the Beggar Sect’s leader that you want.” He revealed. “I am just a friend that carry out a deal. Now that my mission is accomplished, there is no need for them to come search for me.”

Lu She and Zhi Rong glanced at each other in shock. This whole time they got the wrong person. Zhi Rong grip on Rong Zai’s shoulder and said, “Then there is no use to have you around.”

“Ah but there is!” Rong Zai defended himself. “Don’t you want to know why the Beggar Sect’s leader want to have Zhou Zi Yu? Aren’t you all from Zhou’s manor?” He asked.

“What about it?” Lu She asked.

“Well, if you are, I suggest for you to leave the manor as quick as possible. People in the Beggar Sect have been gossiping a lot about the demise of that whole clan. Hm…Something about them possibly be silenced for something.” He casually revealed.

Lu She and Zhi Rong immediately wiped out the fire before taking Rong Zai with them to go to Zhou’s manor.

––

Just as what Rong Zai revealed, Zhou’s manor was attacked in the middle of the night. The servants screamed for helps as the guards fought off intruders but there were too many. You Jian fought his way through the manor to find Zi Yu but was too late. She was taken in the middle of the commotion without anyone noticing. Looking at the fights going on You Jian did notice there were more than one factions attacking Zhou’s manor because they were mask men in black but fighting each other. The only way he could know who they were was to look for their emblems on their clothes. His people would have a tiny gold leaf embroidered somewhere on their shoes.

“Young master.” Someone pulled on his arm. “This way, we have to leave.” The masked men commanded and pulled him away.

“Captain I can’t!” You Jian pulled back. “I have to go find Lu She.”

“Young master, the flower factions are trying to make Zhou’s clan as their massacre ground. You cannot stay any longer. Your grandfather is being questioned at court, if you don’t leave you will be a pawn in this!”

You Jian grimaced between the decisions of leaving or stay. If he don’t go now then he would make it difficult for his grandfather.

“Young master!” The captain called for You Jian’s cooperation.

You Jian wind back and saw Zi Lin by herself looking at Fifth Concubine’s lying on the ground with a blood pool. “Zi Lin!” He called.

“Qin Laoshi!”

“Zi Lin, come!” You Jian called. “Come on!”

Zi Lin was waiting for Zhen Rong and Zhi Rong but when she saw that the whole place was full of strange people killing anyone they set their eyes on that she ran to You Jian and left with him.

Zhi Rong, Lu She and Rong Zai returned to Zhou’s manor to find dead bodies lying about in the courtyard, in their rooms. The whole place was ransacked. Zhi Rong quickly rushed around to find his older brother and Zi Lin while Lu She and Rong Zai went in search for You Jian.


End file.
